Treatment of upper gastrointestinal fistula and leakage with personal stage nutrition support

AIM： To investigate the feasibility of treatment for upper gastrointestinal fistula and leakage with personal stage nutrition support. METHODS： Forty-three patients with upper gastrointestinal fistula and leakage were randomly divided into two groups. Patients in group A were treated with personal stage nutrition support and patients in group B were treated with total parental nutrition （TPN） in combination with operation. Nutritional states of the candidates were evaluated by detecting albumin （AIb） and pre-AIb. The balance between nutrition and hepatic function was evaluated by measurement of aspartate aminotransferase （AST）, alanine aminotransferase （ALT） and total bilirubin （Tbill） before and after operation. At the same time their complications and hospitalized time were surveyed. RESULTS： Personal stage nutrition support improved upper gastrointestinal fistula and leakage. The nutrition state and hepatic function were better in patients who received personal stage nutrition support than in those who did not receive TPN. There was no significant difference in the complication and hospitalized time in the two groups of patients. CONCLUSION： Upper gastrointestinal fistula and leakage can be treated with personal stage nutrition support which is more beneficial for the post-operation recovery and more economic than surgical operation.

Importance of nutrition in inflammatory bowel disease

Inflammatory bowel disease （IBD） results from the interaction between an individual＇s immune response and precipitant environmental factors, which generatean anomalous chronic inflammatory response in thosewho are genetically predisposed. Various feeding practices have been implicated in the origin of IBD based on epidemiological observations in developed countries, but we do not have solid evidence for the etiological role played by specific food types. IBD is associated with frequent nutritional deficiencies, thepattern and severity of which depends on the extent,duration and activity of the inflammation. Nutritional support allows these deficiencies in calories, macro and micronutrients to be rectified. Enteral nutrition is also aprimary therapy for IBD, especially for Crohn＇s disease,as it allows the inflammatory activity to be controlled,kept in remission, and Drevents or delays the need forsurgery. Nutritional support is especially important in childhood IBD as an alternative to pharmacological treatment. This report discusses the complex relationship between diet and IBD.

Post-gastrectomy acute pancreatitis in a patient with gastric carcinoma and pancreas divisum

Gastrectomy is commonly performed for both benign and malignant lesions.Although the incidence of post-gastrectomy acute pancreatitis(PGAP)is low compared to other well-recognized post-operative complications,it has been reported to be associated with a high mortality rate.In this article,we describe a 70-year-old man with asymptomatic pancreatic divisum who underwent palliative subtotal gastrectomy for an advanced gastric cancer with liver metastasis.His postoperative course was complicated by acute pancreatitis and intra-abdominal sepsis.The patient eventually succumbed to multiple organ failure despite surgical debridement and drainage,together with aggressive antibiotic therapy and nutritional support.For patients with pancreas divisum or dominant duct of Santorini who fail to follow the normal post-operative course after gastrectomy,clinicians should be alert to the possibility of PGAP as one of the potential diagnoses. Early detection and aggressive treatment of PGAP might improve the prognosis.

Advances in the diagnosis and treatment of patients with cancer cachexia

Cachexia is a common complication with an incidence rate of 50%–80% in cancer patients. It is also responsible for 20% of mortality among these patients. Cachexia can significantly reduce the efficacy of antitumor therapies and increase treatment-related toxicity and adverse effects in cancer patients. This increases the symptom burden in patients, affects their quality of life, and ultimately shortens their survival time. The mechanism underlying the development of cachexia is complex and diverse and involves various factors and pathways, each playing an important role. Treatment approaches for cachexia are multimodal, including nutrition support therapy, appetite stimulants, and therapeutic drugs that specifically target the mechanism behind the disease. In recent years, we have gradually gained a better understanding of cachexia, and significant progress has been made in delineating molecular mechanisms, staging and diagnosis, and therapeutic drug treatment of cancer cachexia. This article reviews the research progress of cancer cachexia based on these contexts.

Enhancement of leukocyte adhesion after percutaneous irradiation in rats with hepatocellular carcinoma

AIM: To evaluate the effects of percutaneous radiation on leukocyte-endothelium interaction (LEI) in experimental hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). METHODS: Twelve ACI rats underwent HCC-inoculation, six of which on day 12 received low-dose external radiation and six did not. After 12 h intravital microscopy was performed. RESULTS: LEI was significantly reduced in tumor tissue. However,irradiation of liver sinusoids and tumor tissue with 6 Gy led to a significant activation of leukocyte adhesion in the tumor with a marked increase of the proinflammatory cytokine TNF-α. CONCLUSION: The findings indicate that the immune-logical tumor-endothelial barrier can be overcome by external irradiation.

Treatment with Parenteral Nutrition Support and Chinese Herbs in One Case of Primary Small Intestinal Lymphangiectasia

TNTESTINAL lymphangiectasia （IL） is a rare disease first reported by Waldmanin in 1961.1 Since then, no more than two hundred cases have been reported. IL is characterized by dilated lymphatic vessles in the intestinal wall and small bowel mesentery which induceloss of protein and lymphocytes into bowel lumen. We here report a case of IL in a young male patient who was admitted for complaint of recurrent diarrhea for ten years and aggravation of the illness one year ago. He was diagnosed by endoscopy and confirmed by pathology as a primary IL and treated by parenteral nutrition support and Chinese herbs.

Duodenal stenosis resulting from a preduodenal portal vein and an operation for scoliosis

A preduodenal portal vein （PDPV） is known to be a rare cause of duodenal stenosis. We treated a 22-yearold male patient with malnutrition as a result of PDPV and a previously performed operation for scoliosis, who showed an improvement in quality of life after being treated with a combination of nutritional support and surgery. The patient with PDPV had been admitted to our department with duodenal stenosis, ranging from the first to third portions. He had suffered from vomiting since 1 year of age, and he developed malnutrition during the last 6-too period after orthopedic surgery for scoliosis. The stenosis was related to both the PDPV and the previously performed operation for scoliosis. After receiving nutritional support for 6 mo, a gastrojejunostomy with Braun＇s anastomosis for the first portion and a duodenojejunostomy for the second and third portions were performed. The postoperative course was almost uneventful. Three months later, he was discharged and able to attend university. In patients with widespread duodenal stenosis, there may be a complicated cause,such as PDPV and duodenal stretching induced by previous spinal surgery.

Rehabilitation therapy for short bowel syndrome

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of rehabilitation therapy for short bowel syndrome on patient nutritional status and intestinal adaptation. METHODS: The rehabilitation therapy included enteral or parenteral nutrition, glutamine, recombinant human growth hormone and rehabilitative diet. From January 1997 to July 2000, twenty - seven patients with short bowel syndrome received the treatment. The average age of the patients was 38.5 +/- 19.3 years, and the length of residual small intestine ranged from 15 to 80 cm, with an average of 46.8 +/- 23.4 cm. The ileocecal valve was preserved in 14 cases, and the average time between the onset of short bowel syndrome and the rehabilitation therapy was 86 +/- 105 days. RESULTS: After the treatment, nutritional status of the patients improved markedly, and intestinal absorptive capacity improved. Eight patients were followed up for more than 2 years, among whom 4 (50%) were weaned from total parenteral nutrition. Thirteen patients were followed up for more than 1 year, and 10 patients (76.9%) were weaned from total parenteral nutrition. CONCLUSIONS: Rehabilitation therapy for short bowel syndrome can improve patient nutritional status effectively and promote intestinal adaptation, providing a new hope for these patients. The therapeutic effects are related to the length of the residual small intestine, patients age and duration between massive intestinal resection and start of the treatment. Early initiation of rehabilitation therapy promotes intestinal adaptation and increases patients ability to wean from total parenteral nutrition.