Publications by authors named "Yong Fa Zhang"
Article Synopsis
- The study aimed to assess changes in liver and kidney function, as well as red blood cell count and hemoglobin levels, in patients after undergoing ultrasound-guided percutaneous microwave ablation (UPMWA) for uterine fibroids, with evaluations done on postoperative day 1.
- A review of 181 patients treated between August 2017 and January 2023 revealed significant increases in certain liver function markers and decreases in protein levels and RBC count after the procedure, indicating a strain on liver functions and potential risks to kidney health.
- The findings suggest that while UPMWA is effective in treating uterine fibroids, it may lead to temporary organ stress; thus, protective measures during the perioperative period are recommended to support
Article Synopsis
- The study investigated how nitrogen (N) deposition and litter manipulation affect soil organic carbon (SOC) and enzyme activities in rubber plantations on Hainan Island through a micro-plot experiment with varying N additions and litter treatments.
- Results indicated that increasing nitrogen reduced soil pH and altered nitrogen forms in the soil, with significant interactions observed between nitrogen levels and litter management.
- Litter removal led to a substantial decrease in soil organic carbon components, particularly in the top 0-10 cm soil layer, while enzyme activities fluctuated with changes in nitrogen levels and litter treatments, showcasing their complex interdependencies.
Article Synopsis
- The study aimed to investigate how Vitamin E (VE) and selenium (Se) protect bovine Leydig cells from oxidative damage caused by T-2 toxin.
- Results indicated that T-2 toxin significantly decreased cell viability, increased harmful malondialdehyde (MDA) levels, and caused DNA damage.
- Vitamin E and selenium were found to reduce these toxic effects by enhancing the activity and expression of antioxidant enzymes, thereby managing oxidative stress in the cells.
Article Synopsis
- - Background studies show that the kappa opioid receptor (KOR) might be crucial in understanding and treating esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC), but its specific effects on tumor progression are not fully known.
- - The research compared KOR gene expression in cancerous vs. normal tissues, revealing lower KOR levels linked to worse survival rates; experiments indicated that lowering KOR increased cancer cell growth, spread, and invasion abilities.
- - Mechanistically, reduced KOR activates the PDK1-AKT signaling pathway, facilitating tumor invasion and changes in the cytoskeleton, evidenced by alterations in protein interactions and cellular structures during the tests conducted in both lab and animal models.
Article Synopsis
- Parecoxib has potential as a treatment for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC), but its specific effects and mechanisms were previously unclear.
- The study showed that parecoxib causes G2 phase cell cycle arrest and reduces cell growth, invasion, and migration in ESCC through various experimental methods, including RNA sequencing and assays.
- Results indicated that parecoxib affects cancer-related proteins and signaling pathways, particularly inhibiting MMP2 secretion and tumor growth, highlighting its role in suppressing ESCC progression via the PDK1-AKT pathway.
Article Synopsis
- Traditional clinical variables are not enough to predict recurrence in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) undergoing surgery due to tumor heterogeneity, but the novel vascular pattern known as vessels encapsulating tumor clusters (VETC) can indicate biological aggressiveness.
- The study aimed to create a model using VETC and microvascular invasion (MVI) to provide personalized estimates of recurrence-free survival (RFS) for HCC patients based on data from 498 individuals from multiple centers in China.
- Key findings showed that VETC, MVI, tumor number, and maximum tumor size were independent predictors of RFS, and a nomogram and risk score were developed to help estimate RFS more accurately compared to existing progn
Article Synopsis
- - The study assessed the lymphocyte-C-reactive protein ratio (LCR) score's effectiveness as a predictor of survival in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients undergoing curative treatments, involving 1158 subjects split into primary and validation groups.
- - Results indicated that the LCR score effectively categorized patients into groups with significantly different survival rates, showing a strong correlation with overall survival (OS) and outperforming other inflammation-based scores in terms of accuracy.
- - The findings suggest that the LCR score is a valuable and independent prognostic tool for HCC patients, regardless of liver function or tumor characteristics, making it clinically useful for guiding treatment decisions.
Article Synopsis
- The study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of acupuncture on treating attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children and to explore the underlying mechanisms of this treatment.
- A total of 100 ADHD children were randomly divided into two groups: one receiving standard psychological intervention and the other receiving acupuncture alongside the same intervention for three months.
- Results showed that the acupuncture group had significant improvements in attention and response inhibition compared to the control group, with measurable changes in their cerebral arterial blood flow velocity.
Article Synopsis
- The study evaluates nine different staging systems for predicting survival in patients with intermediate stage hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).
- A cohort of 880 patients was analyzed, identifying key prognostic factors like alkaline phosphatase, aspartate aminotransferase, and tumor characteristics.
- The Hong Kong Liver Cancer (HKLC) system consistently outperformed other models, making it the recommended choice for improving clinical trial designs for HCC.
Article Synopsis
- - RBM25 is an RNA-binding protein linked to various biological processes and has been studied for its role in tumor proliferation and metastasis, particularly in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) where its regulatory function is unclear.
- - Analysis of The Cancer Genome Atlas database indicates that RBM25 is overexpressed in HCC patients compared to healthy individuals, and this overexpression correlates with poor overall survival rates, especially in male and early-stage (N0) patients.
- - Further investigations revealed 694 genes related to RBM25, with CDCA5 and INCENP identified as key functional genes that may interact with RBM25 in regulating HCC, setting the stage for future studies on molecular pathways involved.
Article Synopsis
- The lymphocyte-C-reactive protein ratio (LCR) is a new score used to gauge inflammation in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) who have undergone transarterial chemoembolization (TACE).
- In a study of 1,625 HCC patients, the LCR was found to be a significant and independent predictor of survival, outperforming other inflammation-based scores like the Glasgow Prognostic Score and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio.
- The LCR showed strong predictive accuracy over 1, 3, and 5 years, making it a preferable choice for assessing prognosis in HCC patients post-TACE.
L-Arginine protects mouse Leydig cells against T-2 toxin-induced apoptosis .
Toxicol Ind Health
December 2020
Article Synopsis
- The study investigates how L-arginine protects mouse Leydig cells from apoptosis induced by T-2 toxin.
- Leydig cells were cultured with various treatments, revealing that T-2 toxin decreases cell proliferation and mitochondrial activity while increasing apoptosis-related gene expressions.
- When L-arginine was introduced, it counteracted these effects by improving Bcl-2 levels and lowering Bax, PARP, and caspase-3 expressions, thus blocking the apoptotic pathway triggered by T-2 toxin.
[Effect of maternal immune level at different pregnancy stages on cow's milk protein allergy in infants].
Zhongguo Dang Dai Er Ke Za Zhi
November 2020
Article Synopsis
- The study aimed to explore the link between maternal immune responses during pregnancy and the occurrence of cow's milk protein allergy (CMPA) in infants.
- Researchers measured levels of key immune markers (IL-2, IFN-γ, IL-4, and IL-10) in healthy pregnant women during their second and third trimesters and surveyed CMPA in their infants within a year after birth.
- Results indicated a CMPA detection rate of 4.68%, with those affected showing higher rates of maternal food allergies and lower breastfeeding rates, and a significant association between lower maternal levels of IL-2 and IFN-γ and CMPA risk in infants.
Article Synopsis
- - The lymphocyte-C-reactive protein ratio (LCR) is an innovative inflammatory score used to assess the prognosis of patients with intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) after surgical resection.
- - In a study involving 228 patients and an external validation cohort of 135, the LCR score successfully identified two patient groups with significantly different survival rates and outperformed other inflammatory-based scores in predicting overall survival.
- - The results indicate that the LCR score, along with TNM stage and preoperative CA19-9 level, is a reliable and straightforward tool for risk stratification in ICC patients, showing promising stability and accuracy.
Article Synopsis
- - The study aimed to determine if hepatic resection (HR) for breast cancer liver metastases (BCLM) leads to better survival outcomes than non-hepatic resection (NHR).
- - Researchers analyzed data from 384 BCLM patients between 2008 and 2018 using propensity score matching (PSM) to compare clinical outcomes.
- - Results showed HR significantly improved overall survival rates compared to NHR, particularly in patients with positive hormonal receptors, indicating HR may be a beneficial surgical option.
Article Synopsis
- The study compares the effectiveness of two treatments—repeat hepatic resection (RHR) and radiofrequency ablation (RFA)—for patients with recurrent hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).
- Researchers analyzed data from 138 patients who had RHR and 194 who had RFA between 2004 and 2015, using propensity score matching for a fair comparison.
- Results indicated that RHR offered better postrecurrence survival rates, particularly for patients who relapsed within 2 years or had larger tumors than those outlined by the Milan criteria.
Article Synopsis
- The study investigated the outcomes of anatomical resection (AR) versus non-anatomical resection (NAR) in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients who had microscopic vascular invasion (MVI).
- A total of 362 patients were analyzed, and after matching for various factors, their survival rates were compared, revealing that AR had better disease-free survival (DFS) than NAR.
- Ultimately, the research concluded that anatomical resection provided a favorable prognosis for DFS in HCC patients with MVI.
Article Synopsis
- Testosterone levels in mouse Leydig cells decreased due to exposure to T-2 toxin, but the effects of l-arginine on this reduction were unclear.
- Leydig cells were treated with various concentrations of l-arginine alongside T-2 toxin, leading to analysis of certain enzymes and proteins involved in testosterone production.
- The study found that l-arginine not only boosted testosterone levels affected by T-2 toxin but also enhanced the expression and activity of key enzymes (P450scc, 3β-HSD-1, and StAR) involved in steroid hormone synthesis.
Article Synopsis
- The study investigates the effectiveness of the platelet-albumin-bilirubin (PALBI) grade in predicting posthepatectomy liver failure (PHLF) and overall survival (OS) in patients with Child-Pugh grade A hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).
- Over 2,000 patients were analyzed, and results indicated that the PALBI grade outperformed other grading systems, like albumin-bilirubin (ALBI) and Child-Pugh (C-P), in predicting PHLF and survival outcomes.
- The findings suggest that PALBI grade is a reliable tool for stratifying patients' risks and can help in making clinical decisions post-surgery.
Article Synopsis
- T-2 toxin, produced by Fusarium and found in various foods, causes harm to animals, including reproductive and testicular damage.
- Previous studies showed T-2 toxin triggers apoptosis in Leydig cells through specific cellular pathways, but the role of autophagy in this process was not well understood.
- This study found that T-2 toxin increases autophagy markers, and that manipulating autophagy levels can either enhance or reduce apoptosis in Leydig cells, suggesting autophagy helps protect cells from T-2 toxin toxicity.
It remains controversial whether patients with advanced-stage hepatocellular carcinoma could be benefit from transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) treatment. The purpose of the present study is to identify predictors of survival following TACE in patients with advanced HCC. Overall, 303 patients with Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) stage C HCC who were first treated with TACE from Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Centre between January 2009 and December 2013 were reviewed and enrolled in this study.
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- L-arginine is known to support reproductive health, but its role in protecting against T-2 toxin-related reproductive issues was unclear.
- In a study with mice, l-arginine was given before exposure to T-2 toxin to see if it could improve semen quality, testosterone levels, and fertility.
- Results showed that l-arginine improved sperm quality and counts, increased testosterone, and enhanced pregnancy rates in female mice mated with T-2 toxin-treated males, suggesting it may help protect against reproductive impairment.
Article Synopsis
- A trial was conducted to compare the effectiveness of adjuvant transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) following surgery versus surgery alone in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) having a large tumor and microvascular invasion.
- Results showed that patients who received TACE after surgery had significantly longer disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) compared to those who underwent surgery alone.
- Although the TACE group experienced more adverse events, these were mostly mild and manageable, with neutropenia and liver dysfunction being the most common severe complications.