68Ga-PSMA ligand PET/CT integrating indocyanine green-guided salvage lymph node dissection for lymph node metastasis after radical prostatectomy / 亚洲男科学杂志(英文版)

To efficiently remove all recurrent lymph nodes (rLNs) and minimize complications, we developed a combination approach that consisted of 68Gallium prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) ligand positron emission tomography (PET)/computed tomography (CT) and integrated indocyanine green (ICG)-guided salvage lymph node dissection (sLND) for rLNs after radical prostatectomy (RP). Nineteen patients were enrolled to receive such treatment. 68Ga-PSMA ligand PET/CT was used to identify rLNs, and 5 mg of ICG was injected into the space between the rectum and bladder before surgery. Fluorescent laparoscopy was used to perform sLND. While extensive LN dissection was performed at level I, another 5 mg of ICG was injected via the intravenous route to intensify the fluorescent signal, and laparoscopy was introduced to intensively target stained LNs along levels I and II, specifically around suspicious LNs, with 68Ga-PSMA ligand PET/CT. Next, both lateral peritonea were exposed longitudinally to facilitate the removal of fluorescently stained LNs at levels III and IV. In total, pathological analysis confirmed that 42 nodes were rLNs. Among 145 positive LNs stained with ICG, 24 suspicious LNs identified with 68Ga-PSMA ligand PET/CT were included. The sensitivity and specificity of 68Ga-PSMA ligand PET/CT for detecting rLNs were 42.9% and 96.6%, respectively. For ICG, the sensitivity was 92.8% and the specificity was 39.1%. At a median follow-up of 15 (interquartile range [IQR]: 6-31) months, 15 patients experienced complete biochemical remission (BR, prostate-specific antigen [PSA] <0.2 ng ml-1), and 4 patients had a decline in the PSA level, but it remained >0.2 ng ml-1. Therefore, 68Ga-PSMA ligand PET/CT integrating ICG-guided sLND provides efficient sLND with few complications for patients with rLNs after RP.

Microsurgical transverse 2-suture intussusception vasoepididymostomy: effectiveness and rationality / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

<p><b>BACKGROUND</b>2-Suture longitudinal vasoepididymostomy shows superiority to transverse technique in an animal study; to date, this has not been consistently confirmed in human body. In the present study, we evaluated the effectiveness of 2-suture transverse intussusception vasoepididymostomy and compared the rationality between transverse and longitudinal techniques.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>From May 2007 to December 2008, we performed 2-suture transverse vasoepididymostomy in 19 consecutive patients, as described by Marmar with modification. Between March 2009 and January 2010, the internal diameter of the vas lumen and the outer diameter of the epididymal tube were measured using microruler (21 patients and 37 sides).</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Three patients lost to follow-up. At the first follow-up period (ranged from 10 to 24 months), the patency rate was 56.3% (9/16) and the natural pregnancy rate was 25% (4/16). At the second follow-up period (ranged from 46 to 63 months), the patency rate was 68.8% (11/16), the natural pregnancy rate was 37.5% (6/16), respectively, and the take-home baby rate was 31.3% (5/16). The diameter of the vas lumen and the outer diameter of the epididymal tubule were (0.512 ± 0.046) mm and (0.572 ± 0.051) mm (P < 0.001), respectively.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Transverse 2-suture intussusception vasoepididymostomy is still an effective technique in treating obstructive azoospermia.</p>

Expressions of CD4+ CD25(high) regulatory T cells, TGF-beta 1 and COX-2 in the peripheral blood of prostate cancer patients / 中华男科学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the expressions of CD4+ CD25(high) regulatory T cells, TGF-beta 1 and COX-2 in the peripheral blood of prostate cancer (PCa) patients, and analyze the role of CD4+ CD25(high) regulatory T cells in the pathogenesis of PCa and their relationship with TGF-beta 1 and COX-2.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>We used flow cytometry to calculate the percentage of CD4+ CD25(high) regulatory T cells in the CD4+ T cells in the peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from 30 PCa patients (11 localized and 19 non-localized cases) and 20 healthy volunteer controls, determined the expressions of TGF-beta 1 and COX-2 in the serum by ELISA, and analyzed their correlation with the CD4+ CD25(high) regulatory T cells in the PCa patients as well as the differences between the localized and non- localized cases.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>CD4+ CD25(high) regulatory T cells accounted for (18.32 +/- 7.49) % in the CD4+ T cells in PBMCs from the PCa patients, significantly higher than (7.77 +/- 1.86) % from the controls (P < 0.05), but with no statistically significant difference between pre- and post-treatment in the PCa patients (P > 0.05). The expressions of TGF-beta 1 and COX-2 in the peripheral blood were (215.97 +/- 55.16) ng/ml and (6.88 +/- 5.14) ng/ml in the PCa patients, in comparison with (149.75 +/- 47.11) ng/ml (P < 0.05) and (6.88 +/- 5.14) ng/ml (P > 0.05) in the controls. Multiple linear regression analysis showed no significant correlation between the expression of CD4+ CD25(high) regulatory T cells in PBMCs and those of TGF-beta 1 and COX-2 in the peripheral blood of the PCa patients. There were no significant differences between the localized and non-localized PCa groups in the expressions of CD4+ CD25(high) regulatory T cells, TGF-beta 1 and COX-2 (P > 0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>CD4+ CD25(high) regulatory T cells in in PBMCs are involved in the pathogenesis of PCa. The proliferation of CD4+ CD25(high) regulatory T cells is not significantly correlated to the expressions of TGF-beta 1 and COX-2 in the peripheral blood, but maybe to the tumor itself and the local tumor microenvironment.</p>

Triphenylsilyl- and trityl-substituted carbazole-based host materials for blue electrophosphorescence.

Carbazole-based materials adopting the nonconjugated substitution of triphenylsilyl (-SiPh(3)) and trityl (-CPh(3)) side groups are studied as high-triplet-energy, morphologically, and electrochemically stable host materials with tunable carrier-transport properties for organic blue electrophosphorescence. The developed host materials 9-(4-tert-butylphenyl)-3,6-bis(triphenylsilyl)-9H-carbazole (CzSi), 9-(4-tert-butylphenyl)-3,6-ditrityl-9H-carbazole (CzC), and 9-(4-tert-butylphenyl)-3-(triphenylsilyl)-6-trityl-9H-carbazole (CzCSi) all show high triplet energies of 2.97-3.02 eV, along with high glass transition temperatures of 131-163 degrees C and superior electrochemical stability. Nevertheless, the carrier-transport properties show rather significant dependence on different substitutions. Although three different host materials give similar peak electroluminescence efficiencies at low driving currents, the CzSi host, which has more suitable carrier-transport properties, renders broadened distributions of the triplet excitons in phosphorescent devices, reducing the quenching associated with triplet-triplet annihilation and giving larger resistance against efficiency roll-off at higher brightnesses.

A novel ambipolar spirobifluorene derivative that behaves as an efficient blue-light emitter in organic light-emitting diodes.

A novel ambipolar spiro-configured D-A blue-light emitter bearing hole-transporting diphenylamino groups and electron-transporting phenylbenzimidazole groups was synthesized, characterized, and incorporated into an efficient single-layer organic light-emitting diode (OLED) device exhibiting blue-emission Commission International d'Eclairage (CIE) coordinates of 0.15 and 0.14, a turn-on potential of 4 V, a maximum brightness of 2800 cd/m2 at 830 mA/cm2 (19 V), and a maximum quantum efficiency of 0.53% (0.61 cd/A).

An unprecedented ambipolar charge transport material exhibiting balanced electron and hole mobilities.

2,7-Bis(4-tert-butylphenyl)-9,9'-spirobifluorene exhibits balanced electron and hole mobilities of up to 10(-3) cm(2) V(-1) s(-1), as measured using time-of-flight techniques.

Poor visualization of renal collecting system in intravenous urography as an indicator of invasive transitional cell carcinoma in the upper urinary tract / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

<p><b>BACKGROUND</b>Transitional cell carcinoma of the upper urinary tract (UUT-TCC) accounts for 5% to 10% of all renal tumours and 5% to 6% of all urothelial tumours all over the world. In China, the proportion of UUT-TCC to all urothelial tumours may be 26%, which is higher than that in the western world. The early diagnosis of UUT-TCC is difficult and the present study elucidates the diagnostic value of poor or nonvisualization (PNV) in intravenous urography in patients with UUT-TCC and its correlations with pathological findings and clinical characteristics.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The data of 172 consecutive patients between January 1997 and January 2005 with UUT-TCC who underwent nephroureterectomy in our departments were selected and analyzed retrospectively.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Of our sample, 144 cases presented with gross haematuria (83.7%) and 12 with microscopic haematuria (7.0%). Forty-six cases (26.7%) were detectable by cytology. Filling defect identified 36 positive cases of 172 patients (20.9%), PNV was present in the images of 105 of 172 patients (61.0%). The detection rate by PNV (61.0%) was significantly different from that by cytology (26.7%) or by filling defect (20.9%) (P = 0.031, P = 0.001, respectively). Univariate logistic regression analysis for PNV showed that tumour stage, grade and size were significant predictors (P = 0.028; P = 0.031; P = 0.006, respectively). Tumour stage and size were identified as independent risk factors in the multivariate logistic regression model (P = 0.042; P = 0.014).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Except for suspected urolithiasis, urinary tuberculosis or congenital abnormalities, UUT-TCC should be considered if PNV exists in intravenous urography especially of old patients. The value of PNV is much more significant than filling defect in intravenous urography in the diagnosis of UUT-TCC. It is supposed that PNV carries more risk of higher stage and larger tumour size in UTT-TCC.</p>

Coplanarity in the backbones of ladder-type oligo(p-phenylene) homologues and derivatives.

p-Tolyl-substituted ladder-type oligo(p-phenylene)s containing three, four, and five phenylene rings were readily synthesized. The uniform aryl substitution of these systems allowed us to determine the coplanarity of the pi-conjugated backbones crystallographically. The intramolecular annulations eliminate almost all of the conformational disorder and enhance the degree of pi-conjugation of the backbones, resulting in significant red shifts in the absorption and emission maxima and lower oxidation potentials in the higher homologues. [structure: see text]

Spiro-configured bifluorenes: highly efficient emitter for UV organic light-emitting device and host material for red electrophosphorescence.

[structure: see text] Remarkable UV OLED devices using novel spiro-configured bifluorenes as UV emitters have been successfully achieved with external quantum efficiencies up to 2.6-3.1% and emission wavelengths as short as 370 nm. In addition, these large-gap materials have been shown to be effective hosts for red phosphorescent emitters in phosphorescent OLEDs. This result represents the first example that pure hydrocarbon molecules can serve as an efficient host for red electrophosphorescence devices.

Preliminary study on androgen dependence of calcitonin gene-related peptide in rat penis / 亚洲男科学杂志(英文版)

<p><b>UNLABELLED</b>To study the androgen dependence of the neurotransmitter, calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) in rat penis.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Forty-four Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into Group A (intact controls), Group B (castrated) and Group C (gavaged with finasteride 4.5 mg.kg(-1).day(-1)). Four and ten weeks later respectively, half of rats in each group were anaesthetized. Blood samples were taken for the measurement of serum testosterone and dihydrotestosterone (DHT) by means of radioimmunoassay. Penile samples were harvested for the investigation of calcitonin gene related peptide (CGRP)-immunoreactive nerve fibers with immunohistochemistry. The computer-assisted imaging analysis system was applied to calculate the area proportion of the CGRP-positive nerve fibers (CGRP-PNF) in each group.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>1) Both 4 and 10 weeks later, testosterone and DHT levels in Group B decreased significantly compared with those in Group A, (P <0.05, P <0.01, respectively); DHT level in Group C was also significantly decreased in comparison with that in Group A for both 4- and 10- week animals (P <0.05); 2) There was no significant differences in area proportion of CGRP-PNF among Groups A, B and C 4 weeks after treatments (P >0.05); However, 10 weeks later, the proportion of CGRP-PNF in Groups B and C was significantly less than that in Group A (P <0.01); 3) The proportion of CGRP-PNF of 4-week animals in Groups B and C was significantly higher than that of 10-week animals (P <0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The expression of neurotransmitter, CGRP may depend on androgens, including testosterone and DHT in rat penis.</p>

Cutaneous metastasis from adenoid cystic carcinoma of the parotid gland.

BACKGROUND: Cutaneous metastasis from adenoid cystic carcinoma of the salivary gland is very rare. OBJECTIVE: To present an unusual case of cutaneous metastasis from adenoid cystic carcinoma of the right parotid gland. METHODS: A 63-year-old woman with multiple subcutaneous nodules on the abdomen and a gradually enlarged mass over the right parotid area was examined. A skin biopsy was taken from one of the abdominal nodules. RESULT: Skin biopsy demonstrated the characteristic histopathologic features of metastatic adenoid cystic carcinoma. A subsequent computerized tomography of the head and neck revealed a huge soft tissue mass involving the right parotid gland. Computerized tomography of the chest revealed extensive nodular pleural thickening, and pleural biopsy also showed typical histopathologic features of metastatic adenoid cystic carcinoma. All of these results are consistent with the diagnosis of an adenoid cystic carcinoma of the right parotid gland with disseminated metastases. CONCLUSION: We report a rare case of cutaneous metastasis from adenoid cystic carcinoma of the right parotid gland. The presentation of cutaneous metastasis is often nonspecific and may mimic benign lesions. Subcutaneous nodules that are rapidly developing or eruptive, are rapidly growing and have stony hardness in nature, have pain or tenderness, and have nonhealing ulceration remind us of the possibility of cutaneous metastases. Dermatologists and dermatologic surgeons should keep the diagnosis of cutaneous metastasis in mind and always perform skin biopsy when encountering these lesions.

Intense pulsed light for the treatment of facial freckles in Asian skin.

BACKGROUND: Freckles are melanotic lesions frequently seen on the face and other sun-exposed areas. Previously evaluation of the severity of freckles has relied on the ultimately subjective assessment of the doctor or patient. Intense pulsed light (IPL) is newly introduced to treat facial freckles in Asian skin. OBJECTIVE: To determine the effectiveness of IPL treatment for Asian patients with freckled skin and to assess a new and objective method for evaluation of the severity of freckling and posttherapy improvement using an ultraviolet (UV)-sensitive camera and film. METHODS: Thirty-six patients with freckles were enlisted. IPL treatment was administered to patients with freckles in 4-week sessions. Irradiation wavelength was controlled using cutoff filters ranging from 550 to 590 nm, with a fluence of 25-35 J/cm2, with single- or double-pulse illumination and a pulse width of 4.0 msec. The assessments of the physician and patient were compared with the objective dermatologic evaluation with black-and-white and UV photography used to derive two treatment parameters, cosmetic density of freckles (CDF) and freckles area and severity index (FASI), which are applicable in a clinical setting. RESULTS: By the end of the study, two attending physicians assessed the results for 86.1% of the subjects as excellent or good, with 91.7% of the patients reporting that they were extremely or very satisfied. A statistically significant improvement in mean FASI score was demonstrated at 6 months after treatment compared with baseline (n = 36, p <.005; paired t-test). Mean overall improvement rate (n = 36), as determined from the difference in mean FASI score, was 63% at 12 weeks and 58% at 6 months. CONCLUSION: IPL is an effective and safe treatment for facial freckles in Asian skin, with relatively few adverse effects and high satisfaction levels.

Efficient and convenient nonaqueous workup procedure for the preparation of arylboronic esters.

An efficient one-pot synthetic protocol for the synthesis of arylboronic esters has been established. The concentrated addition mixture of trimethylborate with aryl Grignard reagents was treated with low molecular weight diols (ethylene glycol, 1,3-propandiol) and toluene, the corresponding arylboronic esters were isolated in a convenient way with high yields. The diols not only serve as water replacement for the workup step, but also as well as the reagent for the preparation of arylboronic esters.