Polyneuropathy, organomegaly, endocrinopathy, M-protein, skin changes syndrome with dilated cardiomyopathy: A case report.

Background: Polyneuropathy, organomegaly, endocrinopathy, M-protein, skin changes (POEMS) syndrome is a rare paraneoplastic syndrome that encompass multiple systems. The most common clinical symptoms of POEMS syndrome are progressive sensorimotor polyneuropathy, organ enlargement, endocrine disorders, darkening skin, a monoclonal plasma cell proliferative disorder, and lymph node hyperplasia. The organomegaly consists of hepatosplenomegaly and/or lymphadenopathy; cases of cardiomyopathy are rare.

Can visceral fat parameters based on computed tomography be used to predict occult peritoneal metastasis in gastric cancer?

Background: The preoperative prediction of peritoneal metastasis (PM) in gastric cancer would prevent unnecessary surgery and promptly indicate an appropriate treatment plan.

Aim: To explore the predictive value of visceral fat (VF) parameters obtained from preoperative computed tomography (CT) images for occult PM and to develop an individualized model for predicting occult PM in patients with gastric carcinoma (GC).

Methods: A total of 128 confirmed GC cases (84 male and 44 female patients) that underwent CT scans were analyzed and categorized into PM-positive ( = 43) and PM-negative ( = 85) groups.

Amelioration of ligamentum flavum hypertrophy using umbilical cord mesenchymal stromal cell-derived extracellular vesicles.

Ligamentum flavum (LF) hypertrophy (LFH) has been recognised as one of the key contributors to lumbar spinal stenosis. Currently, no effective methods are available to ameliorate this hypertrophy. In this study, human umbilical cord mesenchymal stromal cell-derived extracellular vesicles (hUCMSC-EVs) were introduced for the first time as promising vehicles for drug delivery to treat LFH.

A prediction model integrated genomic alterations and immune signatures of tumor immune microenvironment for early recurrence of stage I NSCLC after curative resection.

Background: Surgery is the standard treatment for patients with stage I non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, postoperative recurrence leads to a poor prognosis of patients. Currently, there is no effective prognostic biomarker and perioperative treatment for patients with stage I NSCLC.

Surgical Outcomes After Neoadjuvant Chemoimmunotherapy for Resectable Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer.

Background: Neoadjuvant chemoimmunotherapy for resectable non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) represents an important research topic. Despite the potential benefits of this approach, the inflammatory responses and adverse events associated with neoadjuvant chemoimmunotherapy can present technical challenges and compromise a planned resection. This study assessed the safety and feasibility of neoadjuvant chemoimmunotherapy followed by surgery for resectable NSCLC.

The clinical and radiological characteristics of pulmonary cryptococcosis in immunocompetent and immunocompromised patients.

Background: We characterized the clinical features, radiographic characteristics, and response to treatment of immunocompetent and immunocompromised patients with pulmonary cryptococcosis (PC).

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records and radiological profiles of patients diagnosed with PC who received surgical resection between May 2015 and November 2020 in a tertiary referral center.

Results: A total of 21 males and 18 females were included in the study.

Aldosterone enhances high phosphate-induced vascular calcification through inhibition of AMPK-mediated autophagy.

It remains unclear whether the necessity of calcified mellitus induced by high inorganic phosphate (Pi) is required and the roles of autophagy plays in aldosterone (Aldo)-enhanced vascular calcification (VC) and vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) osteogenic differentiation. In the present study, we found that Aldo enhanced VC both in vivo and in vitro only in the presence of high Pi, alongside with increased expression of VSMC osteogenic proteins (BMP2, Runx2 and OCN) and decreased expression of VSMC contractile proteins (α-SMA, SM22α and smoothelin). However, these effects were blocked by mineralocorticoid receptor inhibitor, spironolactone.

Osimertinib for compound EGFR exon 19 deletion/T790M mutated lung squamous cell carcinoma.

The role of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutation status testing in lung squamous cell carcinoma (SqCC) remains controversial. Evidence of the effectiveness of osimertinib in SqCC with EGFR T790M mutation is limited. Here, we describe a hitherto unreported case of a stage III SqCC patient with compound mutation of EGFR exon 19 deletion (19Del) and T790M mutation.

Gastric heterotopic pancreas and stromal tumors smaller than 3 cm in diameter: clinical and computed tomography findings.

Background: Identifying gastric heterotopic pancreas and stromal tumors is difficult. Few studies have reported computed tomography (CT) findings for differentiating lesions less than 3 cm in diameter. In this study, we aimed to identify clinical characteristics and CT findings that can differentiate gastric heterotopic pancreatic lesions from stromal tumors less than 3 cm in diameter.

Relationship between the depression status of patients with resectable non-small cell lung cancer and their family members in China.

Purpose: Less work on depression status has been done with family members of patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). This study investigated depression status of patients and their family members; and the relationship of the depression status between these two groups.

Methods: This cross-sectional study enrolled 194 patients diagnosed with non-small cell lung cancer as well as their family members.

Roles of the hepcidin-ferroportin axis and iron in cancer.

Hepcidin is a low-molecular-weight hepatic peptide that regulates iron homeostasis, and acts by causing the degradation of its receptor, the cellular iron exporter ferroportin. On the basis of the major role of the hepcidin-ferroportin axis in iron regulation, recently several studies have discussed its expression and influence on the development and prognosis of cancer. Iron plays a pivotal role in homeostasis.

Recent advances and prospects in the isolation by size of epithelial tumor cells (ISET) methodology.

Current technologies to identify and characterize circulating tumor cells (CTCs) and _ circulating tumor microemboli (CTMs) among hundreds of millions of leukocytes in the bloodstream can be classified into tumor-marker-dependent and -independent technology. Isolation by size of epithelial tumor cells (ISET) is a tumor-marker-independent technology, in which CTCs are isolated by filtration without use of tumor-associated markers, as a result of their large size relative to circulating blood leukocytes. ISET allows cytomorphological, immunocytological, and genetic characterization of CTCs and CTMs.

Comparative proteome analysis of human lung squamous carcinoma using two different methods: two-dimensional gel electrophoresis and iTRAQ analysis.

Discovery of early-diagnosis biomarkers is the key to improve the early-diagnosis and prognosis of human lung squamous carcinoma (hLSC). In order to identify more exhaustive and systematic protein biomarkers for early-diagnosis of hLSC, we chose LCM purifed cells from hLSC tissues and paired normal bronchial epithelia(NBE) tissues and used two methods, the classical 2-DE/MS approach and the new iTRAQ analysis. We found a total of 63 differential proteins, 22 proteins in 2-DE and 59 proteins in iTRAQ analysis, between hLSC and NBE tissues.

Pulmonary artery pseudoaneurysm caused by a rare vascular tumor: epithelioid hemangioendothelioma.

We present a case of a 58-year-old female with a rare vascular tumor of intermediate malignancy. The initial manifestation was a pseudoaneurysm caused by the rupture of the right pulmonary artery after tumor invasion. The diagnosis of epithelioid hemangioendothelioma was confirmed by the morphologic and immunocytochemical features after surgery.

Identification of candidate biomarkers for early detection of human lung squamous cell cancer by quantitative proteomics.

To discover novel biomarkers for early detection of human lung squamous cell cancer (LSCC) and explore possible mechanisms of LSCC carcinogenesis, iTRAQ-tagging combined with two dimensional liquid chromatography tandem MS analysis was used to identify differentially expressed proteins in human bronchial epithelial carcinogenic process using laser capture microdissection-purified normal bronchial epithelium (NBE), squamous metaplasia (SM), atypical hyperplasia (AH), carcinoma in situ (CIS) and invasive LSCC. As a result, 102 differentially expressed proteins were identified, and three differential proteins (GSTP1, HSPB1 and CKB) showing progressively expressional changes in the carcinogenic process were selectively validated by Western blotting. Immunohistochemistry was performed to detect the expression of the three proteins in an independent set of paraffin-embedded archival specimens including various stage tissues of bronchial epithelial carcinogenesis, and their ability for early detection of LSCC was evaluated by receiver operating characteristic analysis.

[Establishment of patient-derived xenotransplantation models for non-small cell lung cancer in immune deficient mice].

Background And Objective: Targeted therapies have become a valuable therapeutic option for cancer. Establishment of different animal tumor models has become necessary. This study was to establish xenotransplantation models for patient-derived non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in immune deficient mice.

[NUSS procedure by video-assisted thoracoscopy for correction of pectus excavatum].

Objective: To review the management of NUSS procedure by video-assisted thoracoscopy for the correction of pectus excavatum in 18 patients, and to prevent and treat some complications.

Methods: Eighteen patients with severe pectus excavatum underwent NUSS procedure by video-assisted thoracoscopy from December 2006 to September 2007.

Results: The operation time ranged from 30 to 70 min ( average 45 min).

Superior vena cava reconstruction using bovine jugular vein conduit.

The glutaraldehyde-treated bovine jugular vein conduit (BJVC) is a xenograft conduit initially used for right ventricular outflow tract reconstruction and has never been used for reconstruction of superior vena cava (SVC). In September 2003, a patient with SVC obstruction underwent SVC reconstruction using BJVC. He has been alive for 42 months and free from signs and symptoms of SVC obstruction except that metastasis was found in the vertebrae.

[Reconstructive methods for hypopharynx and cervical esophagus].

Objective: To review the surgical treatment for reconstructing hypopharynx and cervical esophagus after hypopharyngo-oesophagectomy, and to evalue its efficacy.

Methods: Different methods were adopted to reconstruct the hypopharynx and cervical esophagus among 25 cases, including 14 cases of carcinoma of the hypopharynx and 11 of carcinoma of hypopharynx and cervical esophagus. In accordance with the standard of the International Union Against Cancer in 1997, the 25 cases were divided into different clinic stages, among which 5 were in T(2)N(0), 2 in T(2)N(1), 4 in T(3)N(0), 3 in T(3)N(1), 7 in T(4)N(1) and 3 in T(4)N(2).

[Clinical application of video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery].

Objective: To explore the clinical application of video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS).

Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of 672 cases of VATS. There were 17 thoracic diseases such as emphysema, bullectomy for spontaneous pneumothorax, massive bullae, benign tumor of mediastinum, cyst of mediastinum, pulmonary benign tumors, hydropericardium, malignant pleural fluid, etc.

[Effect of supernatants of bone marrow mononuclear cells on endothelial cell proliferation].

Objective: To define in vitro whether bone marrow mononuclear cells (BM-MNC) secrete vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and to evaluate the effect of BM-MNC on endothelial cell proliferation.

Methods: Rat BM-MNCs were isolated by centrifugation through a histopaque density gradient. BM-MNCs were cultured 4 weeks in vitro.