Objective To study the effect of probiotics on the change of intestinal permeability and inflammatory reaction after surgery of colorectal cancer. Methods Sixty patients who underwent colonic surgery were randomly divided into two groups: probiotic group and control group, with 30 cases in each group. Each group received nutritional support of the same nitrogen and calorie from day 3 to day 7 after operation. The patients in probiotic group were orally administrated probiotic (2 g/d) from the first day after surgery for 7 days. Every patient’s body temperature and heart rate were observed after operation, and white blood cell counts were observed before operation and on day 1, 5, 8 after operation. The levels of microbial DNA in whole blood and plasma D-lactate, and urine lactulose/mannito (L/M) ratio were measured before operation and on day 1 and day 8 after operation, respectively. In addition, the occurrence of postoperative systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) and complications of inflammation were closely observed. Results The average heart rate in postoperative 5 days was significantly lower in probiotics group than that in control group (P＜0.01). The duration of fever and the recovery time for white blood cell counts decreasing to normal were significantly less in probiotics group than those in control group (P＜0.01) as well. There was no significant difference of positive rate of microbial DNA in peripheral blood on day 1 after operation between two groups. However, the number of patients that showed positive result of microbial DNA PCR test in probiotic group （1 case, 3.3%） was significantly less than that of control group (7 cases, 23.3%）on day 8 after operation (P＜0.05). The level of plasma D-lactate in probiotic group 〔decreasing from (6.90±1.41) ng/ml on day 1 to (0.56±0.18) ng/ml on day 8〕 was also significantly lower than that in control group 〔decreasing from (6.63±1.29) ng/ml on day 1 to (0.95±0.83) ng/ml on day 8〕 on day 8 after operation (P＜0.05). Urine L/M ratio increased from 0.053±0.019 on day 1 to 0.063±0.016 on day 8 after operation in control group; while in probiotic group, the ratio decreased from 0.047±0.012 on day 1 to 0.031±0.008 on day 8 after operation, and there was significantly statistical difference of the ratio between two groups on day 8 (P＜0.01). There was no significant difference of the occurrence rate of SIRS and complications of inflammation between two groups (Pgt;0.05). Conclusion Probiotics can decrease intestinal permeability and maintain the intestinal barrier function after operation. It may be helpful for the recovery of patients with early inflammatory response after surgery of colorectal cancer.
Objective To investigate the expression of TNFAIP8L2 gene in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD), its correlation with clinical characteristics, and its functional role as a potential tumor suppressor using a combination of bioinformatics approaches and in vitro experiments. MethodsThe differential expression of TNFAIP8L2 between LUAD tissues and normal lung tissues were analyzed using UALCAN and TIMER databases, followed by further association analyses to elucidate the relationship between TNFAIP8L2 expression and clinical features in LUAD patients. Forty-eight pairs of LUAD and adjacent normal lung tissue samples were collected and subjected to quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) to validate the expression level of TNFAIP8L2. In vitro, the effects of TNFAIP8L2 overexpression on proliferation and metastasis were assessed using CCK8 and transwell assays in A549 cells. The GEPIA and TIMER databases were utilized to explore the correlation between TNFAIP8L2 expression and patient prognosis. Moreover, STRING, cBioportal, and TISIDB databases were consulted to delve into potential protein-protein interactions involving TNFAIP8L2, its mutational status, and its relevance to immune cell infiltration within the tumor microenvironment of LUAD. ResultsTNFAIP8L2 expression was significantly lower in LUAD tissues compared to normal lung tissues, and low TNFAIP8L2 expression was strongly associated with poorer prognosis in LUAD patients. In vitro experiments definitively demonstrated that increased expression of TNFAIP8L2 could effectively inhibit proliferation and migration of A549 cells. TNFAIP8L2 was found to potentially interact with specific proteins including TLR1, CASP8, RAC1, SASH3, ARHGAP9, GIMAP8, S1PR4, LST1, TES, and RGS18. Additionally, TNFAIP8L2 expression was correlated with the infiltration levels of immune cells, such as NK cells, CD4+ and CD8+ T lymphocytes and others. ConclusionTNFAIP8L2 displays a trend of low expression in LUAD, where its downregulation is indicative of an adverse prognosis. Overexpression of TNFAIP8L2 effectively suppresses the growth and metastasis of LUAD cells. TNFAIP8L2 emerges as a promising biomarker with potential applications in LUAD diagnosis, prognosis evaluation, and guiding the development of immunotherapeutic strategies.
ObjectiveTo analyze the incidence and drainage pattern of the specific collateral vein (VL) located between several adjacent segments of the bilateral upper lung, and its clinical significance in the surgical treatment of early lung cancer. MethodsThe preoperative three-dimensional computed tomography bronchography and angiography (3D CTBA) data of 1 515 patients in the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University from 2017 to 2020 were analyzed retrospectively, including 524 males and 991 females, with an average age of 54.27±11.43 years. There were 712 patients of right upper lung and 803 patients of left upper lung. The incidence and drainage pattern of VL in bilateral upper lungs were analyzed. Furthermore, the imaging data and medical records of 113 patients in the left upper lung were reviewed to investigate the influence of the relative position relationship between nodules and VL on the selection of operation. ResultsThe overall incidence of VL was 72.7% (1102/1 515) in the bilateral upper lungs, including 68.0% (484/712) in the right upper lung, and 77.0% (618/803) in the left upper lung. The incidence of VL in the left side was significantly higher than that in the right side (P＜0. 05). VL mainly drained into V2a+b (327/484, 67.6%) in the right upper lung and into V1+2b+c (389/618, 62.9%) in the left upper lung. When the spherical simulative cutting margin of 2 cm of the nodule did not involve VL, it was more feasible to undergo sublobectomy than those whose simulative cutting margin of 2 cm involved VL, and the difference was statistically significant (91.9% vs. 61.5%, P＜0.05). When the spherical simulative cutting margin of 2 cm of nodule involved VL, the lesion located in the middle or inner zone was more feasible to undergo lobectomy than that in the outer zone, but the difference was not statistically significant (43.8% vs. 34.8%, P＞0.05). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that diameter of the lesion, whether the spherical simulative margin of 2 cm involving VL and the depth ratio of the lesion were independent risk factors affecting the surgical options (P<0.05). ConclusionThe incidence of the specific collateral vein in bilateral upper lungs is high, and the drainage pattern is diverse, which has important guiding significance for preoperative planning and intraoperative manipulation. For deep nodules adjacent to VL, lobectomy or resection of left upper division is often performed to ensure a safe margin.
ObjectiveTo analyze the effect of releasing the lower pulmonary ligament on right residual lung expansion after right upper lobe resection under different body mass index (BMI) levels. MethodsThe clinical data of patients who underwent thoracoscopic right upper lobe resection in the First Affiliated Hospital with Nanjing Medical University from 2021 to 2022 were retrospectively analyzed. Patients were divided into a group A (17 kg/m2＜BMI≤23 kg/m2), a group B (23 kg/m2＜BMI≤29 kg/m2) and a group C (BMI＞29 kg/m2) according to BMI. The presence of residual cavity was judged by chest X-ray at 7-10 days after operation, the degree of compensation change of the right main bronchus angle was measured, and the changes in lung volume were determined by CT three-dimensional reconstruction. ResultsA total of 157 patients who underwent thoracoscopic right upper lobe resection were included, including 71 males and 86 females, with an average age of (59.7±11.2) years. There were 50 patients in the group A, 75 patients in the group B, and 32 patients in the group C. In the group A, compared with those without releasing the lower pulmonary ligament, patients with releasing had a lower incidence of postoperative residual cavity (P=0.016), greater changes in bronchus angle (P<0.001), and smaller changes in lung volume (P<0.001). In the group B and C, there was no significant effect of releasing the lower pulmonary ligament on postoperative residual cavity, bronchus angle, and lung volume changes (P>0.05). ConclusionFor patients with thin and long body shape and low BMI, releasing the lower pulmonary ligament is helpful to promote the expansion of the residual lung after right upper lobe resection and reduce the occurrence of postoperative residual cavity in patients.