Percutaneous endobiliary radiofrequency ablation and stent placement for unresectable malignant biliary obstruction: a propensity score matching retrospective study.

Background: Whether endobiliary radiofrequency ablation (EB-RFA) changes the standard role of stent placement in treating unresectable malignant biliary obstruction (MBO) remains unclear. The aim of this study is to compare percutaneous EB-RFA and metal stent placement (RFA-Stent) with metal stent placement alone (Stent) in treating unresectable MBO using a propensity score matching (PSM) analysis.

Methods: From June 2013 to June 2018, clinical data from 163 patients with malignant biliary obstruction who underwent percutaneous RFA-Stent or stenting alone were retrospectively analyzed using a nearest-neighbor algorithm to one-to-one PSM analysis to compare primary and secondary stent patency (PSP, SSP), overall survival (OS) and complications between the two groups.

Validation and evaluation of clinical prediction systems for first and repeated transarterial chemoembolization in unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma: A Chinese multicenter retrospective study.

Background: The treatment outcome of transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) in unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) varies greatly due to the clinical heterogeneity of the patients. Therefore, several prognostic systems have been proposed for risk stratification and candidate identification for first TACE and repeated TACE (re-TACE).

Aim: To investigate the correlations between prognostic systems and radiological response, compare the predictive abilities, and integrate them in sequence for outcome prediction.

Causal assessment of sleep on coronary heart disease.

Objective: Sleep is an essential physiological process that protects our physical and mental health. However, the causality of the association between sleep and coronary heart disease (CHD) is unknown. Mendelian randomization (MR), using genetic variants as instrumental variables to test for causality, can infer credible causal associations.

Diagnostic accuracy of photodynamic diagnosis with 5-aminolevulinic acid, hexaminolevulinate and narrow band imaging for non-muscle invasive bladder cancer.

To assess the diagnostic test accuracy (DTA) of photodynamic diagnosis with 5-aminolaevulinic acid (5-ALA), hexylaminolevulinate (HAL) and narrow band imaging (NBI) for non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC), with white light-guided cystoscopy (WLC) as reference standard. A systematic review and narrative synthesis was performed in accordance with PRISMA. Major electronic databases were searched until 20 May 2019.

Serum albumin and atrial fibrillation: insights from epidemiological and mendelian randomization studies.

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common arrhythmia in clinical practice. Low serum albumin level is linked to the emergence of many cardiovascular diseases, including AF. In this study, we aim to characterize the nature and magnitude of the prospective association between serum albumin and incident AF in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study and investigate any causal relevance to the association between them.

Exploring the causal pathway from omega-6 levels to coronary heart disease: A network Mendelian randomization study.

Background And Aims: Evidence on the effect of omega-6 fats on coronary heart disease (CHD) risk remains inconclusive. We applied a network MR framework to determine the causal effects between omega-6 levels and CHD and the potential cholesterol metabolic risk factors (Total cholesterol, TC; Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, LDL-C; High-density lipoprotein cholesterol, HDL-C; Triglycerides, TG) which might act as mediators in the link between omega-6 levels and CHD by integrating summary-level genome wide association study (GWAS) data.

Methods And Results: Network MR analysis-an approach using genetic variants as the instrumental variables for both the exposure and mediator to infer causality was performed to examine the causal effects between omega-6 levels and CHD and cholesterol metabolic risk factors.

Gefitinib with or without Transarterial Infusion Chemotherapy (Cisplatin) for Large Nonsmall Cell Lung Cancer with Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor Mutations.

Purpose: To retrospectively investigate the safety and benefit of gefitinib plus transarterial infusion (TAI) therapy as a first-line treatment compared to gefitinib alone for patients with large (>7 cm) nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutations.

Materials And Methods: Between January 2010 and December 2013, 92 consecutive treatment-naïve patients with large NSCLC with EGFR mutations, who were treated using gefitinib plus TAI (G+T, n = 42) or gefitinib alone (G, n = 50) were reviewed. The primary endpoints were the objective response rate (ORR) and tumor reduction rate.

Evaluation of an in-house MALDI-TOF MS rapid diagnostic method for direct identification of micro-organisms from blood cultures.

Purpose: Bloodstream infections are major causes of morbidity and mortality among hospitalized patients worldwide. Early identification of micro-organisms from blood culture can facilitate earlier optimization of treatment. The objective of this study was to assess an in-house method based on a new matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) platform (Clin-TOF MS) for direct organism identification.

Comparison of α-Fetoprotein Criteria and Modified Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors for the Prediction of Overall Survival of Patients with Hepatocellular Carcinoma after Transarterial Chemoembolization.

Purpose: To evaluate the value of α-fetoprotein (AFP) classification criteria in predicting tumor response and patient survival and to discuss the agreement between AFP criteria and modified Response Evaluation Criteria In Solid Tumors (mRECIST).

Materials And Methods: Between January 2011 and December 2014, 147 patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with baseline AFP levels ≥ 400 ng/mL who underwent transarterial chemoembolization as initial treatment were retrospectively enrolled for AFP/imaging correlation analysis. AFP-based response was classified as complete response (CR) in cases of AFP level normalization, partial response (PR) in cases of > 50% decrease vs baseline, stable disease (SD) in cases of -50% to +30% change vs baseline, or progressive disease (PD) in cases of > 30% increase vs baseline.

Is Emergency Transcatheter Hepatic Arterial Embolization Suitable for Spontaneously Ruptured Hepatocellular Carcinoma in Child-Pugh C Cirrhosis?

Purpose: To evaluate the utility of emergent transcatheter arterial embolization for spontaneously ruptured hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in patients with Child-Pugh class C (CPC) liver cirrhosis presenting hemorrhagic shock.

Materials And Methods: A study of all 94 patients was retrospectively conducted from January 2006 to January 2016. Sixty patients underwent conservative treatment (control group) and 34 underwent embolization.

Sudden death and its risk factors after atrioventricular junction ablation and pacemaker implantation in patients with atrial fibrillation.

Background: Although sudden death (SD) is a rare complication after atrioventricular junction (AVJ) ablation and permanent pacemaker implantation, the risk factors leading to this SD remain unknown. The purpose of this study was to investigate SD and its risk factors after ablate-and-pace strategy for rate control in atrial fibrillation (AF) patients during long-term follow-up.

Hypothesis: METHODS: From January 2005 to December 2009, we enrolled into this study 517 AF patients with AVJ ablation and right ventricular pacemaker implantation.

Initial Experience: Alleviation of Pain with Percutaneous CT-Guided Cryoablation for Recurrent Retroperitoneal Soft-Tissue Sarcoma.

Purpose: To evaluate the pain-alleviating effect of computed tomography (CT)-guided percutaneous cryoablation for recurrent retroperitoneal soft-tissue sarcomas (RPSs).

Materials And Methods: Data from 19 men and 20 women (median age, 50.3 y) with recurrent malignant RPS who underwent percutaneous cryoablation were reviewed retrospectively.

Se Enhances MLCK Activation by Regulating Selenoprotein T (SelT) in the Gastric Smooth Muscle of Rats.

Selenium (Se), a nutritionally essential trace element, is associated with health and disease. Selenoprotein T (SelT) was identified as a redoxin protein with a selenocystein, localizing in the endoplasmic reticulum. The myosin light chain kinase (MLCK) and myosin light chain (MLC) play key roles in the contraction process of smooth muscle.

Sorafenib continuation after first disease progression could reduce disease flares and provide survival benefits in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma: a pilot retrospective study.

Background: Sorafenib is a promising drug for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC); however, treatment may be discontinued for multiple reasons, such as progressive disease, adverse events, or the cost of treatment. The consequences of sorafenib discontinuation and continuation are uncertain.

Materials And Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 88 HCC patients treated with sorafenib from July 2007 to January 2013.

Preoperative easily misdiagnosed telangiectatic osteosarcoma: clinical-radiologic-pathologic correlations.

Purpose: To describe the clinical, imaging, and pathologic characteristics and diagnostic methods of telangiectatic osteosarcoma (TOS) for improving the diagnostic level.

Materials And Methods: The authors retrospectively reviewed patient demographics, serum alkaline phosphatase (AKP) levels, preoperative biopsy pathologic reports, pathologic materials, imaging findings, and treatment outcomes from 26 patients with TOS. Patient images from radiography (26 cases) and magnetic resonance (MR) imaging (22 cases) were evaluated by 3 authors in consensus for intrinsic characteristics.

[The analysis of the efficacy and safety of combined transarterial chemoembolization with sorafenib in patients with large hepatocellular carcinoma].

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of combined transarterial chemoembolization with sorafenib in patients with large hepatocellular carcinoma.

Methods: 79 patients with large HCC(larger than 10 cm in diameter)were enrolled from July 2008 to June 2012 for this retrospective study. 24 patients undertaken TACE combined with sorafenib as T + S group.

Population persistence of a Tertiary relict tree Tetracentron sinense on the Ailao Mountains, Yunnan, China.

The persistence of the Tertiary relict tree Tetracentron sinense Oliv. on the eastern slope of the Ailao Mountains, Yunnan, SW China, was here studied in terms of population structure (size, age) and regeneration patterns. T.

Overexpression of osteopontin, αvβ3 and Pim-1 associated with prognostically important clinicopathologic variables in non-small cell lung cancer.

In this study, we examined the expression of osteopontin (OPN), αvβ3 and Pim-1 in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and investigated the potential clinical implications of their expression patterns in NSCLC. Immunohistochemical assays were used to examine the protein expression of OPN, αvβ3 and Pim-1 in 208 NSCLC samples and their adjacent normal lung tissue specimens. Statistical analyses were performed to evaluate the relationships between OPN, αvβ3 and Pim-1 expression patterns, and their association with the clinical-pathological parameters of NSCLC patients.

A novel molecular grading model: combination of Ki67 and VEGF in predicting tumor recurrence and progression in non-invasive urothelial bladder cancer.

Purpose: To assess efficacy of Ki67 combined with VEGF as a molecular grading model to predict outcomes with non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC).

Materials: 72 NMIBC patients who underwent transurethral resection (TUR) followed by routine intravesical instillations were retrospectively analyzed in this study. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to confirm the prognostic values of the Ki67 labeling index (LI) and VEGF scoring for tumor recurrence and progression.