Patients with locally advanced thyroid cancer often face challenges in achieving radical surgery during initial diagnosis. This has become a significant hurdle in the treatment of thyroid cancer. With the continuous development of systemic therapy for thyroid cancer, several studies have demonstrated that neoadjuvant therapy can shrink tumors in some patients, thereby increasing the chances of complete resection and improving prognosis. Targeted therapy plays a crucial role as a core component of neoadjuvant treatment. Simultaneously, the potential efficacy of immunotherapy has gained attention, showing promising prospects. We aim to summarize the research progress and existing issues regarding neoadjuvant therapy for locally advanced thyroid cancer. We look forward to more high-quality clinical studies providing robust evidence for neoadjuvant therapy in locally advanced thyroid cancer, expanding the breadth of treatment options.
The rotary left ventricular assist device (LVAD) has been an effective option for end-stage heart failure. However, while clinically using the LVAD, patients are often at significant risk for ventricular collapse, called suction, mainly due to higher LVAD speeds required for adequate cardiac output. Some proposed suction detection algorithms required the external implantation of sensors, which were not reliable in long-term use due to baseline drift and short lifespan. Therefore, this study presents a new suction detection system only using the LVAD intrinsic blood pump parameter (pump speed) without using any external sensor. Three feature indices are derived from the pump speed and considered as the inputs to four different classifiers to classify the pumping states as no suction or suction. The in-silico results using a combined human circulatory system and LVAD model show that the proposed method can detect ventricular suction effectively, demonstrating that it has high classification accuracy, stability, and robustness. The proposed suction detection system could be an important part in the LVAD for detecting and avoiding suction, while at the same time making the LVAD meet the cardiac output demand for the patients. It could also provide theoretical basis and technology support for designing and optimizing the control system of the LVAD.
ObjectiveTo investigate the role of Aspergillus in the severe refractory exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).MethodsThe clinical data of two COPD patients suffering from refractory acute exacerbations were analyzed and the relevant literature were reviewed.ResultsTwo patients were male, aging 72 and 64 years respectively. Both of them had a history of frequent acute exacerbations with severe COPD recently. Meanwhile, they received intravenous use of antibiotics repeatedly, one of them took oral corticosteroids to control wheezing, but failed. Their serum Aspergillus-specific IgG antibody was weakly positive. Besides traditional treatment, they received additional antifungal therapy, and the symptoms alleviated. There was no acute exacerbation in the half a year follow-up period after appropriate therapy.ConclusionsAspergillus colonization, sensitization, infection should be considered in patients with severe COPD. When Aspergillus-associated evidence are acquired, antifungal therapy will be unexpected helpful.
Objective To study the effect of p38MAPK activity on tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α） mRNA and intercellular adhesion molecule 1 （ICAM1） mRNA expressions of isolated rabbit liver during early stage of cold preservation and reperfusion period. Methods Based on the cold preservation and reperfusion model of isolated rabbit liver, the animals were divided into inhibition group （n=12） with 3 μmol/L SB202190 (p38MAPK specificity inhibitor) in perfusate and control group （n=12） with no SB202190 in perfusate. Liver tissue samples were harvested at the time points of before resection, end of cold preservation, and different reperfusion period (10, 30, 60 and 120 min). Protein expression and activity of p38MAPK were detected by Western blot and immunoprecipitation respectively, expression of TNF-α mRNA was detected by RT-PCR, and expression of ICAM1 mRNA was detected by in situ hybridization. Results There was no obvious change of expression of p38MAPK protein in liver tissue both in two groups during the total period （P＞0.05）， and there was no statistically significant difference between two groups （P＞0.05）. At time points of end of cold preservation, 10, 30 and 60 min of reperfusion, the activity of p38MAPK in control group was significantly higher than that at the time points of before resection and 120 min of reperfusion (P＜0.01), and was also significantly higher than that in inhibition group at the same time points (P＜0.01). There was no significant difference in activity of p38MAPK among all time points in inhibition group (P＞0.05). The expressions of TNF-α mRNA and ICAM1 mRNA at the time points of before resection, end of cold preservation, and 10 and 30 min of reperfusion were significantly lower than those in 60 and 120 min of reperfusion in both two groups (P＜0.05, P＜0.01); The expressions of TNF-α mRNA and ICAM1 mRNA in inhibition group were significantly lower than those in control group at the time points of 60 and 120 min of reperfusion (P＜0.01). The activity of p38MAPK of liver tissue during cold preservation and reperfusion period was significantly correlated with the level of TNF-α mRNA and level of ICAM1 mRNA expression （r=0.996, P＜0.01； r=0.985, P＜0.01）. Conclusions These results suggest that p38MAPK pathway may regulate the expressions of TNF-α and ICAM1 at the level of transcription and the activation of p38MAPK can up-regulate TNF-α and ICAM1 expressions, which may be one of the important mechanisms to cause ischemia-reperfusion injury of isolated liver during cold preservation and reperfusion period.
Objective To review the research progress of C terminal propeptide of collagen type II (CTX-II), a osteoarthritis (OA) biomarker. Methods Domestic and international l iterature about CTX-II was reviewed extensively and summarized. Results CTX-II is investigated broadly and has the best performance of all currently available biomarkers. CTX-II is a truly useful biomarker for early diagnosis, prognosis, and measurement of treatment response in OA. Conclusion Single CTX-II may be not sufficient for early diagnosis and prognosis of OA, so a combination of CTX-II and other biomarkers or diagnosis methods is needed.
【摘要】 目的 探討彩色多普勒超聲對臨床甲狀腺良惡性結節的診斷價值。 方法 對2007-2010年105例經手術病理證實的甲狀腺結節患者資料進行回顧性分析，總結其聲像圖特征。 結果 105例患者中，良性結節71例，甲狀腺癌34例，超聲診斷符合率81.9%，誤診18例（17.1%）。 結論 彩色多普勒超聲是診斷甲狀腺結節的首選影像學檢查方法，但對良惡性結節的鑒別及微小癌的診斷有局限性。【Abstract】 Objective To evaluate the value of color Doppler flow imaging in diagnosis of benign and malignant thyroid nodules. Methods We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of 105 patients with thyroid nodules confirmed by pathology between 2007 and 2010 and summarized the ultrasonography results. Results Among the 105 cases, 71 were benign nodules and 34 were malignant tumors. The overall diagnostic accordance rate was 81.9% with 18 cases (17.1%) of misdiagnosis. Conclusion Ultrasonography is the first imaging modality for thyroid nodule examination, but it is limited in the diagnosis of microcarcinoma and in distinguishing malignant from benign nodules in the same thyroid.
Objective To discuss the effectiveness and the safety of accurate decompression via foraminoplasty in treating lumbar lateral recess stenosis patients who accompanied by disk-flavum ligamentum space and bony lateral recess stenosis, and to analysis the short-term effectiveness of the surgical procedures. Methods Forty-five lumbar lateral recess stenosis patients accompanied by disk-flavum ligamentum space and bony lateral recess stenosis were treated by accurate decompression via foraminoplasty between January 2013 and January 2016. There were 29 males and 16 females with a median age of 58 years (range, 42-82 years). The disease duration was 3-96 months (mean, 24.4 months). The lesion segment included L4, 5 in 36 cases and L5, S1 in 9 cases. The visual analogue scale (VAS) score of low back pain and leg pain at preoperation and last follow-up were recorded, and the modified Macnab criteria was used to evaluate the effectiveness at last follow-up. Postoperative CT and MRI were reviewed to evaluate the stability and decompression of the lumbar spine. Results All operations were successfully completed. All the 45 patients were followed up 3-18 months (median, 11 months). Dural tear occurred in 2 cases during operation, bone graft removed into the spinal canal in 1 case, postoperative low back pain occurred in 5 cases, and there was no nerve root injury, hematoma formation, or other complications. The leg pain VAS score at last follow-up (0.6±1.2) was significantly improved when compared with preoperative score (5.7±1.4) (t=8.981, P=0.001); and the low back pain VAS scores showed no significant difference between preoperation and last follow-up (1.5±1.3vs. 1.7±1.4;t=0.535, P=0.585). According to the modified Macnab criteria, the results were excellent in 20 cases, good in 22 cases, fair in 2 cases, and poor in 1 case at last follow-up, and the excellent and good rate was 93.3%. Conclusion Accurate decompression via foraminoplasty is an effective, safe, and less invasive way for treating lumbar recess stenosis patients accompanied by disk-flavum ligamentum space and bony lateral recess stenosis.
目的:研究離體肝臟缺血再灌注期間絲裂原活化蛋白激酶(mitogen activated protein kinase,p38MAPK)信號轉導途徑對細胞間黏附分子1(intercellular adhesion molecular 1,ICAM1)mRNA表達的影響。方法:建立兔離體肝臟缺血再灌注模型,對照組(n=12):灌注液中不加特異性p38MAPK抑制劑SB202190,抑制組(n=12):灌注液中加入SB202190(濃度為3μmol/L)。于肝臟離體前,冷保存末,再灌注10min、30min、60min及120min時獲取離體肝組織標本。分別應用Western-blot法及免疫沉淀法檢測離體肝組織中p38MAPK表達的水平及活性,原位雜交法檢測ICAM1 mRNA表達水平。結果:與離體前相較,對照組p38MAPK活性在冷保存末及再灌注10min、30min、60min顯著性增高(Plt;0.01),而再灌注120min時活性與離體前相較無明顯差異(Pgt;0.05);抑制組p38MAPK活性在各時相點的變化無顯著性差異(Pgt;0.05),除離體前及再灌注120min兩組肝臟的p38MAPK活性無顯著性差異外,其余各時相點p38MAPK活性均顯著性低于對照組(Plt;0.01)。離體前、冷保存末及再灌注10min及30min時,兩組肝組織中僅有少量ICAM1 mRNA表達,組間及組內比較無顯著性差異(Pgt;0.05);至再灌注60min及120min,對照組ICAM1 mRNA的表達水平顯著性高于組內其它時相點(Plt;0.01),而抑制組雖然也顯著高于組內其它時相點(Plt;0.05),但卻顯著性低于同時相點對照組的表達水平(Plt;0.01)。離體再灌注期間供肝組織中p38MAPK活性與供肝組織內ICAM1 mRNA的表達水平呈顯著性正相關(r=0.985,Plt;0.01)。結論:p38MAPK對ICAM1生成的調節作用層次可能在轉錄水平,提示p38MAPK信號轉導途徑對ICAM1 mRNA的調節可能是導致離體肝臟缺血再灌注損傷的重要機制之一。