Novel strategy of sirolimus plus thymalfasin and huaier granule on tumor recurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma beyond the UCSF criteria following liver transplantation: A single center experience.

Although liver transplantation (LT) lengthens the survival time of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), LT patients exhibit a high recurrence rate; particularly those that had advanced HCC associated with the tumor biological characteristics and long-term application of immunosuppressants. A consensus on optimal prophylaxis and treatment for recurrent HCC following LT does not currently exist. The present study retrospectively analyzed data from 36 non-University of California at San Francisco criteria-eligible patients with advanced HCC who underwent LT, and then treated them with sirolimus (SRL)-based therapy with thymalfasin and huaier granules (SRL+, n=18), or with tacrolimus-based therapy (controls; n=18).

Relationship between age at last delivery and age at menopause: The Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.

Objective: We used data from the 2010 to 2012 Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys to investigate whether the age at menopause is related to age at last delivery.

Methods: This was a cross-sectional study of the data for 714 women who became menopausal within the 3 years preceding the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.

Results: Smoking, exercise, drink, educational level, and income were adjusted in model 1, and the mean ages at menopause were 50.

Individualized Immunosuppressive Protocol of Liver Transplant Recipient Should be Made Based on Splenic Function Status.

Background: Lymphocyte subsets play important roles in rejection in liver transplant recipients, and the effect of splenic function on these roles remains unknown. The aim of this study was to explore the feasibility to adjust immunosuppressive agents based on splenic function status through detecting the lymphocyte subsets in liver transplantBeijing recipients.

Methods: The lymphocyte subsets of 49 liver transplant recipients were assessed in the 309th Hospital of Chinese People's Liberation Army between June 2014 and August 2015.

Percutaneous Intraluminal Radiofrequency Ablation for Malignant Extrahepatic Biliary Obstruction: A Safe and Feasible Method.

Backgroud: The Habib™ EndoHBP catheter is a novel bipolar radiofrequency catheter developed for intraluminal ablation to relieve malignant extrahepatic biliary obstruction. Clinical experience with its use is limited and scattered.

Aim: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the clinical feasibility and safety of this technique.

New strategies for prevention and treatment of splenic artery steal syndrome after liver transplantation.

Aim: To explore a prophylactic procedure to prevent splenic artery steal syndrome (SASS), as well as a therapeutic intervention to correct it.

Methods: Forty-three liver transplant patients were enrolled in a non-randomized controlled trial, with the eligible criterion that the diameter of the splenic artery is more than 5 mm and/or 1.5 times of the diameter of the hepatic artery.

Uptake of donor lymphocytes treated with 8-methoxypsoralen and ultraviolet A light by recipient dendritic cells induces CD4+CD25+Foxp3+ regulatory T cells and down-regulates cardiac allograft rejection.

Extracorporeal photopheresis (ECP) is an effective immunomodulatory therapy and has been demonstrated to be beneficial for graft-vs-host disease and solid-organ allograft rejection. ECP involves reinfusion of a patient's autologous peripheral blood leukocytes treated ex vivo with 8-methoxypsoralen and UVA light radiation (PUVA). Previous studies focused only on ECP treatment of recipient immune cells.

Overfilling of calcium hydroxide-based paste Calcipex II produced a foreign body granuloma without acute inflammatory reaction.

A patient, a 62-year-old man, received endodontic treatment of the lower left canine complicated by apical overfilling of Calcipex II. At the second day after the root canal filling, the 14th day after placement of Calcipex II intracanal medication, he complained of a gingival swelling in the treated area. The incisional biopsy of the gingival swelling revealed a foreign body granuloma infiltrated with macrophages engulfing the fine Calcipex II granules but with polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNs).

Adaptation of Chinese hamster ovary cells to low culture temperature: cell growth and recombinant protein production.

Recombinant Chinese hamster ovary (rCHO) cells producing erythropoietin (EPO) and rCHO cells producing follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) showed a significant increase in specific productivity (q) when grown at 32 degrees C compared to 37 degrees C. However, low culture temperature suppressed cell growth, and therefore, did not increase volumetric productivity as much as q. In an attempt to increase the volumetric productivity through improvement of hypothermic growth, EPO producing rCHO (CHO-EPO) cells and FSH producing rCHO (CHO-FSH) cells were adapted at 32 degrees C in a repeated batch mode using spinner flasks.

Effect of culture pH on erythropoietin production by Chinese hamster ovary cells grown in suspension at 32.5 and 37.0 degrees C.

To investigate the effect of culture pH in the range of 6.85-7.80 on cell growth and erythropoietin (EPO) production at 32.

Effect of low culture temperature on specific productivity, transcription level, and heterogeneity of erythropoietin in Chinese hamster ovary cells.

To determine the effect of low culture temperature on erythropoietin (EPO) production in recombinant Chinese hamster ovary (rCHO) cells, rCHO cells producing EPO (LGE10-9-27) were cultivated at 30, 33, and 37 degrees C. At a culture temperature lower than 37 degrees C cell growth was suppressed, but cell viability remained high for a longer culture period. When the culture temperature was lowered from 37 degrees C to 33 degrees C, more than a 2.