ObjectiveTo assesse the association of an insertion/deletion (I/D) polymorphism in the angiotensin-converting enzyme gene (ACE) with the risk and the mortality of acute lung injury (ALI)/acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). MethodsWe searched electronic databases through April 2014 for the terms "angiotensin-converting enzyme gene", "acute lung injury" and "acute respiratory distress syndrome", and reviewed all studies that reported the relationship of the I/D polymorphism in ACE with ALI/ARDS in adults. Eight studies met the inclusion criteria, comprising 498 ALI/ARDS patients, 3220 healthy controls and 1137 patients without ALI/ARDS. Three genetic models were used: the allele, dominant and recessive models. The meta-analysis was performed with RevMan 5.2 software. ResultsThe ACE I/D polymorphism was not associated with susceptibility to ALI/ARDS compared with the healthy controls and the patient controls for any genetic model. The ACE I/D polymorphism was associated with the mortality risk of ALI/ARDS in Asian subjects, and OR was 2.99 (95% CI 1.87-4.76, P < 0.05), 0.36 (95% CI 0.20-0.67, P < 0.05), 4.62 (95% CI 1.71-12.45, P < 0.05) for allele I/D, genotype II/II+ID and genotype DD/II+ID, respectively. ConclusionThere is a possible association between the ACE I/D polymorphism genotype and the mortality risk of ALI/ARDS in Asians.
ObjectiveTo systematically review the efficacy and safety of transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) combined with sorafenib and TACE only treating the intermediate or advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in Chinese people. MethodsThe PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, CBM, CNKI, VIP, and Wanfang Data for randomized controlled trials (RCT) on TACE combined with sorafenib (TACE combined with sorafenib group) and TACE (TACE alone group) from inception to December 2014 were searched. The literatures and data were screened and extracted. The meta analysis was performed using RevMan 5.1 software. ResultsSix RCTs involving 498 patients with HCC were included. The results of meta analysis showed that the objective response rate[OR=2.28, 95% CI (1.52-3.42), P < 0.000 1] and the disease control rate[OR=6.62, 95% CI (4.12-10.65), P < 0.000 01] were higher, the 1-year survival rate[OR=3.27, 95% CI (2.06-5.22), P < 0.000 01] and 2-year survival rate[OR=4.55, 95% CI (2.28-9.07), P < 0.000 1] were longer, the safety and tolerability of adverse reactions were better in the TACE combined with sorafenib group as compared with the TACE alone group. ConclusionsIn Chinese people, compared with TACE alone group, TACE combined with sorafenib group have higher objective response rate, disease control rate, 1-year survival rate, and 2-year survival rate. However, due to the lower quality of included literatures, these conclusions should be treated cautiously.
ObjectiveTo analyze risk factors associated with prognosis of appendiceal adenocarcinoma using data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database. MethodsThe patients pathologically diagnosed with appendiceal adenocarcinoma from 2005 to 2015 were extracted from the SEER database and then randomly divided into a training cohort and validation cohort in a 7∶3 ratio. The univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses were performed in the training cohort to identify the independent risk factors for overall survival and cancer-specific survival. Based on these factors, a nomogram prediction model was constructed and subsequently internally validated. The statistical significance was defined as α=0.05. ResultsA total of 749 patients with appendiceal adenocarcinoma were enrolled, with 524 in the training cohort and 225 in the validation cohort. The multivariate Cox regression analysis identified that the T, N, M stages, and surgery as the independent prognostic factors for both overall survival and cancer-specific survival. Additionally, the age was identified as an independent prognostic factor for overall survival, and tumor size for cancer-specific survival. Based on these factors, the nomogram prediction models for the overall survival rate and cancer-specific survival rate were developed. The nomogram of overall survival rate achieved a C-index of 0.716 [95%CI=(0.689, 0.743)] in the training cohort and 0.695 [95%CI=(0.649, 0.740)] in the validation cohort, while the nomogram of cancer-specific survival rate showed C-index values of 0.749 [95%CI=(0.716,0.782)] and 0.746 [95%CI=(0.699, 0.793)], respectively. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curves (AUCs) for 3- and 5-year overall survival rates were 0.780 [95%CI=(0.739, 0.821)] and 0.773 [95%CI=(0.732, 0.814)] respectively in the training cohort, were 0.789 [95%CI=(0.726, 0.852)] and 0.776 [95%CI=(0.715, 0.837)] respectively in the validation cohort, which for 3- and 5-year cancer-specific survival rates were 0.813 [95%CI=(0.768, 0.858)] and 0.796 [95%CI=(0.753, 0.839)] respectively in the training cohort, were 0.813 [95%CI=(0.750, 0.876)] and 0.811 [95%CI=(0.750, 0.872)] respectively in the validation cohort. The calibration curves demonstrated good agreements between predicted and observed outcomes for both overall survival rate and cancer-specific survival rate. ConclusionsThrough analysis results of appendiceal adenocarcinoma patients from the SEER database reveal that advanced T, N, and M stages, as well as lack of surgery are significant risk factors for both overall survival and cancer-specific survival. The constructed nomograms for predicting overall survival and cancer-specific survival rates, which incorporate these risk factors, demonstrate strong predictive accuracy.
ObjectiveTo systematically evaluate the efficacy of high-flow nasal cannula oxygen therapy (HFNC) in post-extubation intensive care unit (ICU) patients.MethodsThe PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, CNKI, WanFang, VIP Databases were searched for all published available randomized controlled trials (RCTs) or cohort studies about HFNC therapy in post-extubation ICU patients. The control group was treated with conventional oxygen therapy (COT) or non-invasive positive pressure ventilation (NIPPV), while the experimental group was treated with HFNC. Two reviewers separately searched the articles, evaluated the quality of the literatures, extracted data according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria. RevMan5.3 was used for meta-analysis. The main outcome measurements included reintubation rate and length of ICU stay. The secondary outcomes included ICU mortality and hospital acquired pneumonia (HAP) rate.ResultsA total of 20 articles were enrolled. There were 3 583 patients enrolled, with 1 727 patients in HFNC group, and 1 856 patients in control group (841 patients with COT, and 1 015 with NIPPV). Meta-analysis showed that HFNC had a significant advantage over COT in reducing the reintubation rate of patients with postextubation (P<0.000 01), but there was no significant difference as compared with that of NIPPV (P=0.21). It was shown by pooled analysis of two subgroups that compared with COT/NIPPV, HFNC had a significant advantage in reducing reintubation rate in patients of postextubation (P<0.000 01). There was no significant difference in ICU mortality between HFNC and COT (P=0.38) or NIPPV (P=0.36). There was no significant difference in length of ICU stay between HFNC and COT (P=0.30), but there had a significant advantage in length of ICU stay between HFNC and NIPPV (P<0.000 01). It was shown by pooled analysis of two subgroups that compared with COT/NIPPV, HFNC had a significant advantage in length of ICU stay (P=0.04). There was no significant difference in HAP rate between HFNC and COT (P=0.61) or NIPPV (P=0.23).ConclusionsThere is a significant advantage to decrease reintubation rate between HFNC and COT, but there is no significant difference in ICU mortality, length of ICU stay or HAP rate. There is a significant advantage to decrease length of ICU stay between HFNC and NIPPV, but there is no significant difference in ICU mortality, reintubation rate or HAP rate.
Objective To investigate the therapeutic effect of the chitosan/polyethylene glycols-succinate/ mitomycin C (CH/PEG-SA/MMC) film on epidural scarring tissues. Methods According to a specific proportion of respective materials, the film of CH/PEG-SA/MMC was developed under some condition. Thirty SD rats were selected and randomized into 6 groups with 5 rats in each group. A rat model of lumbar laminectomy was used. The amount of 20 mg of the CH film was implanted into the animals in group I, 20 mg of CH/PEG film in group II, 20 mg of CH/PEGSA film in group III, 0.05 mg/mL of the MMC soaking for 5 minutes in group IV, 20 mg of CH/PEG-SA/MMC film in group V, and nothing was done in group VI. Specimens were harvested 4 weeks after the above procedures and were then subjected to immunohistochemical and histological examinations to compare their therapeutic effects on epidural cicatricial tissues. Results All rats were in good conditions after operation, without gait abnormal ity, restlessness, infection and death. There was no significant difference among the 6 groups in the postoperative Rydell score (P lt; 0.05). The content of hydroxyprol ine in groups I, II, III, IV, V and VI was (0.570 8 ± 0.345 0), (0.728 6 ± 0.150 6), (0.553 4 ± 0.122 3), (0.313 3 ± 0.106 4), (0.261 9 ± 0.102 1)and (1.020 1 ± 0.120 6) μg/ mg, respectively. There was a significant difference between groups IV, V and groups I, II, III (P lt; 0.05), and there was significant difference between group VI and the rest 5 groups (P lt; 0.05). According to the histological observation, group V had less collagenous fiber parallel ing the dura mater, with few inflammatory cells infiltration, with few capillary vessels and no reaction of macrophages. Conclusion CH/PEG-SA/MMC films can effectively reduce the amount of Hyp in epidural scarring tissues after lumbar laminectomy and therefore is a good treating method in preventing scarring tissue adhesion.
During the automatic reconstruction of panoramic images, the effect of dental arch curve fitting will affect the integrity of the content of the panoramic image. Metal implants in the patient’s mouth usually lead to a decrease in the contrast of the panoramic image, which affects the doctor’s diagnosis. In this paper, an automatic oral panoramic image reconstruction method was proposed. By calculating key image areas and image extraction fusion algorithms, the dental arch curve could be automatically detected and adjusted on a small number of images, and the intensity distribution of teeth, bone tissue and metal implants on the image could be adjusted to reduce the impact of metal on other tissues, to generate high-quality panoramic images. The method was tested on 50 cases of cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) data with good results, which can effectively improve the quality of panoramic images.
ObjectiveTo compare and analyze the application of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) drugs for intravitreal injection in the real world before and after the establishment of one-stop intravitreal injection center, as well as the advantages and disadvantages of different management modes. MethodsA retrospective clinical study. A total of 4 015 patients (4 659 eyes) who received anti-VEGF drugs for ocular fundus diseases at the Tianjin Medical University Eye Hospital from July, 2018 to June, 2022 were included in the study. There were 2 146 males and 1 869 females. The ocular fundus diseases in this study were as follows: 1 090 eyes of 968 patients with wet age-related macular degeneration (wAMD); 855 eyes of 654 patients with diabetic macular edema (DME); 1 158 eyes of 980 patients with diabetic retinopathy (DR); 930 eyes of 916 patients with macular edema secondary to retinal vein occlusion (RVO-ME). A total of 294 eyes of 275 patients with choroidal neovascularization secondary to pathological myopia (PM-CNV); 332 eyes of 222 patients with other fundus diseases. A total of 13 796 anti-VEGF needles were injected. A total of 1 252 patients (1 403 eyes) from July 2018 to June 2020 were regarded as the control group. From July 2020 to June 2022, 2 763 patients (3 256 eyes) who received anti-VEGF treatment in the intravitreal injection center were regarded as the observation group. The total number of intravitreal injection needles, the distribution of anti-VEGF therapy in each disease according to disease classification, the proportion of patients who chose the 3+ on-demand treatment (PRN) regimen and the distribution of clinical application of different anti-VEGF drugs were compared between the control group and the observation group. The waiting time and medical experience of patients were investigated by questionnaire. χ2 test was used to compare the count data between the two groups, and t test was used to compare the measurement data. ResultsAmong the 13 796 anti-VEGF injections in 4 659 eyes, the total number of anti-VEGF drugs used in the control and observation groups were 4 762 and 9 034, respectively, with an average of (3.39±3.78) and (2.78±2.27) injections per eye (t=6.900, P＜0.001), respectively. In the control and observation groups, a total of 1 728 and 2 705 injections of anti-VEGF drugs were used for wAMD with an average of (5.14±4.56) and (3.59±2.45) injections per eye, respectively; a total of 982 and 2 038 injections of anti-VEGF drugs were used for DME with an average of (4.36±4.91) and (3.24±2.77) needles per eye, respectively. Additionally, a total of 942 and 2 179 injections of anti-VEGF drugs were injected for RVO-ME with an average of (3.98±3.71) and (3.14±2.15) injections per eye, respectively; a total of 291 and 615 injections of anti-VEGF drugs were injected for PM-CNV with an average of (3.31±2.63) and (2.99±1.69) injections per eye, respectively. A total of 683 and 1 029 injections of anti-VEGF drugs were injected for DR with an average of (1.60±1.26) and (1.41±1.05) injections per eye, respectively. The clinical application and implementation of "3+PRN" treatment were as follows: 223 (66.4%, 223/336) and 431 eyes (57.2%, 431/754) in the wAMD (χ2=8.210, P=0.004), 75 (33.3%, 75/225) and 236 (37.5%, 236/630) eyes in the DME (χ2=1.220, P＞0.05), and 97 (40.9%, 97/237) and 355 eyes (51.2%, 355/693) in the RVO-ME (χ2=7.498, P=0.006), 39 (44.3%, 39/88) and 111 eyes (53.9%, 111/206) in the PM-CNV ( χ2=2.258, P＞0.05), respectively. In addition, the results of the questionnaire survey showed that there were significant differences between the control and observation groups regarding the time of appointment waiting for surgery (t=1.340), time from admission to entering the operating room on the day of injection (t=2.780), time from completing preoperative treatment preparation to waiting for entering the operating room (t=8.390), and time from admission to discharge (t=6.060) (P＜0.05). ConclusionsThe establishment of a one-stop intravitreal injection mode greatly improved work efficiency and increased the number of injections. At the same time, the compliance, waiting time, and overall medical experience of patients significantly improved under centralized management.