Purpose The efficacy of neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (NCRT) plus surgery for locally advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) remains controversial. In this trial, we compared the survival and safety of NCRT plus surgery with surgery alone in patients with locally advanced ESCC. Patients and Methods From June 2007 to December 2014, 451 patients with potentially resectable thoracic ESCC, clinically staged as T1-4N1M0/T4N0M0, were randomly allocated to NCRT plus surgery (group CRT; n = 224) and surgery alone (group S; n = 227). In group CRT, patients received vinorelbine 25 mg/m2 intravenously (IV) on days 1 and 8 and cisplatin 75 mg/m2 IV day 1, or 25 mg/m2 IV on days 1 to 4 every 3 weeks for two cycles, with a total concurrent radiation dose of 40.0 Gy administered in 20 fractions of 2.0 Gy on 5 days per week. In both groups, patients underwent McKeown or Ivor Lewis esophagectomy. The primary end point was overall survival. Results The pathologic complete response rate was 43.2% in group CRT. Compared with group S, group CRT had a higher R0 resection rate (98.4% v 91.2%; P = .002), a better median overall survival (100.1 months v 66.5 months; hazard ratio, 0.71; 95% CI, 0.53 to 0.96; P = .025), and a prolonged disease-free survival (100.1 months v 41.7 months; hazard ratio, 0.58; 95% CI, 0.43 to 0.78; P < .001). Leukopenia (48.9%) and neutropenia (45.7%) were the most common grade 3 or 4 adverse events during chemoradiotherapy. Incidences of postoperative complications were similar between groups, with the exception of arrhythmia (group CRT: 13% v group S: 4.0%; P = .001). Peritreatment mortality was 2.2% in group CRT versus 0.4% in group S ( P = .212). Conclusion This trial shows that NCRT plus surgery improves survival over surgery alone among patients with locally advanced ESCC, with acceptable and manageable adverse events.
Pancreatic cancer (PC) is a highly fatal disease worldwide and is often misdiagnosed in its early stages. The exploration of novel non-invasive biomarkers will definitely benefit PC patients. Recently, circulating miRNAs in body fluids are emerging as non-invasive biomarkers for PC diagnosis. In this study, we first conducted comprehensive robust rank aggregation (RRA) analysis based on 21 published miRome profiling studies. We statistically identified and clinically validated a miRNA expression pattern in PC patients. These miRNAs consisted of four up-regulated (hsa-miR-21-5p, hsa-miR-31-5p, hsa-miR-210-3p and hsa-miR-155-5p) and three down-regulated miRNAs (hsa-miR-217, hsa-miR-148a-3p and hsa-miR-375). Among them, hsa-miR-21-5p was one of the most highly expressed miRNAs in the serum of PC patients. Our validation test further suggested a relatively high accuracy of serum hsa-miR-21-5p levels in the diagnosis of PC, with a sensitivity of 0.77 and a specificity of 0.80. Finally, a diagnostic meta-analysis based on 9 studies also revealed favorable sensitivity and specificity of circulating hsa-miR-21-5p for the diagnosis of PC (pooled sensitivity and specificity were 0.76 and 0.74, respectively), which was consistent with our findings. Taken together, as one of the most aberrantly expressed miRNAs in PC, circulating hsa-miR-21-5p might be a promising serum biomarker in patients with PC.
To evaluate the efficacy and safety of oXiris hemofilter for septic shock patients.Clinical data of septic shock patients receiving continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) with oXiris hemofilter in department of surgical intensive care unit (SICU) of the First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University from March 1st, 2018 to July 20th, 2019 were retrospectively analyzed. The heart rate (HR), mean arterial pressure (MAP), oxygenation index (PaO2/FiO2), lactate (Lac), platelet count (PLT), serum procalcitonin (PCT), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and C-reactive protein (CRP), noradrenaline (NE) dosage, acute physiology and chronic health evaluation II (APACHE II) and sequential organ failure score (SOFA) were compared before and after oXiris treatment and the prognosis were also analyzed.Six patients with septic shock were included [5 males, the average age was (56.3±11.8) years old]. A total of 13 oXiris hemofilter sets were performed during treatment. Compared with before treatment, the HR, IL-6 and CRP levels were significantly decreased after treatment [HR (bpm): 93.8±9.7 vs. 133.5±18.3, IL-6 (ng/L): 509.2±169.6 vs. 3 739.8±618.2, CRP (mg/L): 169.1±148.3 vs. 277.8±68.7, all P < 0.05], MAP, PaO2/FiO2 and PLT were significantly increased [MAP (mmHg, 1 mmHg = 0.133 kPa): 73.3±2.2 vs. 63.3±1.6, PaO2/FiO2 (mmHg): 166.8±40.4 vs. 95.1±56.2, PLT (×109/L): 73.3±27.5 vs. 41.2±21.4, all P < 0.05]; meanwhile, NE dosage, APACHE II and SOFA scores were significantly decreased [NE (μg×kg-1×min-1): 0.4±0.3 vs. 1.2±0.7, APACHE II: 18.8±6.9 vs. 30.0±7.3, SOFA: 11.7±4.2 vs. 17.3±2.1, all P < 0.05]. Although Lac and PCT decreased after treatment, there was no significant difference [Lac (mmol/L): 3.5±2.1 vs. 6.1±3.2, PCT (μg/L): 37.7±48.3 vs. 85.1±32.8, both P > 0.05]. At the end, 3 of the 6 patients survived and the others were discharged again medical advice. The length of SICU stay was 3 to 23 days, with an average of (13.0±8.5) days. No adverse events occurred during the treatment.oXiris hemofilter can effectively remove inflammatory mediators in circulation, significantly improve hemodynamic status and severity, and may be considered as a safe and reliable treatment modality for septic shock patients.
To evaluate the clinical effect and safety of regional citrate anticoagulation (RCA) in continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) for acute kidney injury (AKI) after hepatectomy.A retrospective analysis of the clinical data of all patients with AKI after hepatectomy for CRRT admitted to surgical intensive care unit (ICU) of the First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University from January 19th, 2013 to January 19th, 2018 was performed. According to the different anticoagulants, the patients were divided into no anticoagulant group (NA group), low molecular heparin anticoagulation (LMHA) group and RCA group. The general data of patients during the perioperative period; renal function, the internal environment, electrolyte and blood coagulation function before and after CRRT; the filter time, the number of filters and adverse events (bleeding, frequent filter blood coagulation, metabolic alkalosis, metabolic acidosis, hypocalcemia, citrate accumulation, etc.) during CRRT were collected. Kaplan-Meier survival curve was used to analyze the life span of the first filter during different anticoagulation.A total of 67 cases were included in this study, including 11 in the NA group, 25 in the LMHA group and 31 in the RCA group. There was no significant difference in gender, age, underlying disease, etiology (tumor), Child-Pugh stage (A or B), CT angiography (CTA), basic renal function [serum creatinine (SCr), cystatin C (Cys C)], the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) stage; surgical approach; intraoperative bleeding volume, blood transfusion, blood pressure, time of duration of low blood pressure; and postoperative circulatory failure, hepatic insufficiency and sepsis among three groups. However, the length of ICU stay in RCA group was significantly less than the LMHA group and NA group (days: 8.16±2.24 vs. 10.48±5.11, 13.29±6.64, both P < 0.05). Compared with before CRRT, the levels of SCr, Cys C and Lac were significantly decreased in RCA group and LMHA group after CRRT [SCr (μmol/L): 89.02±21.90 vs. 248.30±55.32, 105.10±49.00 vs. 270.10±156.00; Cys C (mg/L): 2.18±0.95 vs. 2.94±1.26, 2.26±0.76 vs. 3.07±0.90; Lac (mmol/L): 2.21±1.46 vs. 3.62±1.73, 2.37±1.24 vs. 4.03±1.69, all P < 0.05]; in addition, LMHA group and NA group had significant effects on hemoglobin (Hb), platelet count (PLT) and activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT) after CRRT [Hb (g/L): 85.4±5.1 vs. 99.6±23.6, 80.0±7.6 vs. 101.4±7.8; PLT (×109/L): 27.60±8.22 vs. 62.04±16.49, 21.36±3.91 vs. 61.45±17.69; APTT (s): 63.07±10.25 vs. 41.52±3.65, 49.56±5.77 vs. 41.09±3.45, all P < 0.05]; at the same time, Cys C level and prothrombin time (PT) in the NA group after CRRT treatment were significantly increased compared with the others [Cys C (mg/L): 3.59±0.64 vs. 2.29±0.51, PT (s): 26.41±2.43 vs. 23.64±1.92 , both P < 0.05]. Finally, the time of filters (hours: 60.52±8.82, 31.04±7.03, 13.73±6.26, F = 183.412, P < 0.001) and the number of filter during treatment (number: 2.03±0.60, 3.12±0.73, 4.64±1.29, F = 45.933, P < 0.001) in the RCA group, LMHA group and NA group had statistically significant difference. Meanwhile, the incidence of adverse events such as bleeding (0 vs. 4, 7, χ 2 = 23.961, P < 0.001) and frequent filter coagulation (1 vs. 10, 11, χ 2 = 35.413, P < 0.001) in RCA group was significantly lower than that in LMHA group and NA group. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showed that the life time of the first filter in RCA group was significantly longer than that in LMHA group and NA group (χ2 = 139.45, P < 0.05).The application of RCA in patients with AKI after hepatectomy during CRRT is safe and effective, which can significantly prolong the life of the filter and reduce the risk of bleeding.
Based on related research of the authors' team, this chapter gives a full picture of simulation-based cyber-physical systemsSimulation-based cyber-physical systems (SB-CPS) and simulation-based internet-of-things (SB-IoT). Definitions and explanations of the concepts of CPS/IoT and SB-CPS/SB-IoT are introduced. Technical challenge from CPS and IoT and challenge of M&S technology in SB-CPS/SB-IoT are analyzed. Body of knowledge/technology of the SB-CPS/SB-IoT is proposed. Key technologies enabling the SB-CPS/SB-IoT are described. These technologies include SB-CPS/SB-IoT modeling theory and method, SB-CPS/SB-IoT simulationSimulation system theory and technology, SB-CPS/SB-IoT simulation application engineering theory and technology. Furthermore, the impact of SB-CPS/SB-IoT on society and economy, people's livelihood and national security are discussed. Some application cases, e.g., smart cities, smart manufacturingManufacturing , are illustrated. Finally, some suggestions for future works are given.
Cellular senescence as one of the important steps against tumor is observed in many cancer patients receiving chemotherapy and is related to chemotherapeutic response. To investigate the effect of cisplatin on hepatocellular carcinoma, we treated HepG2 cells exhibiting wild-type TP53 with gradient concentrations of cisplatin.The inhibitory effects of cisplatin on human hepatoma HepG2 cells were detected by MTT assay and colony formation test. The changes in cell cycle were analyzed by flow cytometry, and cellular senescence was detected with senescence associated β-galactosidase (SA β-gal) staining. The relative mRNA expression levels of TP53, P21 and P19 was estimated using semi-quantitative real-time RT-PCR, and the protein expressions of P53 and P21 were detected using Western blotting.Cisplatin induced irreversible proliferation inhibition and G1 phase arrest of HepG2 cells. Elevated levels of senescence-associated β-galactosidase was observed in HepG2 cells exposed to low doses of cisplatin. P19 expression immediately increased following cisplatin exposure and reached the maximum level at 48 h, followed then by a rapid decrease to the baseline level, whereas the expressions levels of TP53 and P21 mRNA increased continuously. Western blotting confirmed P53 and P21 expression changes similar to their mRNA expressions during cisplatin-induced cellular senescence in HepG2 cells.Our results revealed a functional link between cisplatin and hepatocellular senescence. Cellular senescence induced by cisplatin as a stabile senescent cellular model can be used for further research.
// Zhenzhu Song 1 , Zhongchao Ma 2 , Kai Qu 3 , Sinan Liu 3, 4 , Wenquan Niu 5 and Ting Lin 3, 4 1 Department of Clinical Laboratory, Liaocheng People's Hospital, Taishan Medical College, Liaocheng 252000, China 2 Department of Nephrology, Hemodialysis Center, Liaocheng People's Hospital, Taishan Medical College, Liaocheng 252000, China 3 Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710061, China 4 Department of Surgical Intensive Care Unit, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710061, China 5 Project and Data Management Office, Institute of Clinical Medicine, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, Beijing 100029, China Correspondence to: Ting Lin, email: 947119451@qq.com Wenquan Niu, email: niuwenquan_shcn@163.com Keywords: [TIMP-2] x [IGFBP7], acute kidney injury, meta-analysis, prediction Received: May 01, 2017 Accepted: September 21, 2017 Published: October 13, 2017 ABSTRACT Acute kidney injury (AKI) most commonly occurs in critically ill and postoperative patients. Tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases-2 (TIMP-2) and insulin-like growth factor-binding protein 7 (IGFBP7) are two newly-identified urinary biomarkers that can help to detect early AKI, yet their predictive accuracies range widely. Here, we conduct a systematic meta-analysis to evaluate the diagnostic values of [TIMP-2] x [IGFBP7] for AKI at different detection times and cutoff levels. Ten studies were meta-analyzed on 1606 patients. Overall, urinary [TIMP-2] x [IGFBP7] had a pooled sensitivity of 58% and specificity of 79%. Subgroup analysis showed that the sensitivity and specificity were 0.72 and 0.58 with a cutoff value of 0.3 (ng/mL) 2 /1000, and 0.38 and 0.94 with a cutoff value of 2.0 (ng/mL) 2 /1000, respectively. Moreover, when 0.3 was chosen as the cutoff value, restricting analysis to patients who were tested within 4 hours showed a sensitivity of 0.71 and specificity of 0.73, with the AUROC of 0.75. When 2.0 was chosen as the cutoff value, the sensitivity and specificity were 0.43 and 0.93, respectively in patients who were tested within 24 hours, with the AUROC of 0.70. In summary, urinary [TIMP-2] x [IGFBP7] can predict the occurrence of AKI with moderate diagnostic accuracy. In the earlier administrative periods (less than 4 hours), 0.3 (ng/mL) 2 /1000 is recommended to be used; whereas for patients who were administrated more than 24 hours, 2.0 (ng/mL) 2 /1000 is more appropriate.
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a malignant tumor with the highest mortality rate in the world, and hepatitis B virus (HBV) plays an important role in its development. Long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) is highly related to the inactivation of tumor suppressor genes and the activation of oncogenes in HCC. Researchers have used high-throughput sequencing technology to identify many noncoding transcripts related to the development of HCC and have studied the interaction between these transcripts and DNA, RNA, or protein to determine the relevant mechanism in the development of HCC. In general, the research on lncRNA represents a new field of cancer research, and the imbalance in lncRNA plays an pivotal role in the occurrence of liver cancer. In this review, we summarize some of the dysfunctional lncRNAs in human HCC associated with HBV infection. Their regulatory pathways, functions, and potential molecular mechanisms in the occurrence and development of HCC are discussed.