Coexistence of liver abscess, hepatic cystic echinococcosis and hepatocellular carcinoma: A case report

BACKGROUND Human cystic echinococcosis(CE)is a life-threatening zoonosis caused by the Echinococcus granulosus(sensu lato).Hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)is a leading cause of cancer-related mortality in the world.The coexistence of CE and HCC is exceedingly rare,and only several well-documented cases have been reported.In addition to this coexistence,there is no report of the coexistence of CE,HCC,and liver abscess to date.Herein,we aimed to report a case of coexistence of liver abscess,hepatic CE,and HCC.CASE SUMMARY A 65-year-old herdsman presented to the department of interventional therapy with jaundice,right upper abdominal distension and pain for 10 d.Laboratory test showed that he had positive results for HBsAg,HBeAb,HBcAb,and echino-coccosis IgG antibody.The test also showed an increased level of alpha fetopro-tein of 3400 ng/mL.An abdominal computed tomography(CT)scan revealed an uneven enhanced lesion of the liver at the arterial phase with enhancement and was located S4/8 segment of the liver.In addition,CT scan also revealed a mass in the S6 segment of the liver with a thick calcified wall and according to current guideline and medical images,the diagnoses of hepatic CE(CE4 subtype)and HCC were established.Initially,transarterial chemoembolization was performed for HCC.In the follow-up,liver abscess occurred in addition to CE and HCC;thus,percutaneous liver puncture drainage was performed.In the next follow-up,CE and HCC were stable.The liver abscess was completely resolved,and the patient was discharged with no evidence of recurrence.CONCLUSION This is the first reported case on the coexistence of liver abscess,hepatic CE,and HCC.Individualized treatment and multidisciplinary discussions should be performed in this setting.Therefore,treatment and diagnosis should be based on the characteristics of liver abscess,hepatic CE,and HCC,and in future clinical work,it is necessary to be aware of the possibility of this complex composition of liver diseases.

Long noncoding RNAs HAND2-AS1 ultrasound microbubbles suppress hepatocellular carcinoma progression by regulating the miR-873-5p/tissue inhibitor of matrix metalloproteinase-2 axis

BACKGROUND Increasing data indicated that long noncoding RNAs(lncRNAs)were directly or indirectly involved in the occurrence and development of tumors,including hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC).Recent studies had found that the expression of lncRNA HAND2-AS1 was downregulated in HCC tissues,but its role in HCC progression is unclear.Ultrasound targeted microbubble destruction mediated gene transfection is a new method to overexpress genes.AIM To study the role of ultrasound microbubbles(UTMBs)mediated HAND2-AS1 in the progression of HCC,in order to provide a new reference for the treatment of HCC.METHODS In vitro,we transfected HAND2-AS1 siRNA into HepG2 cells by UTMBs,and detected cell proliferation,apoptosis,invasion and epithelial-mesenchymal transition(EMT)by cell counting kit-8 assay,flow cytometry,Transwell invasion assay and Western blotting,respectively.In addition,we transfected miR-837-5p mimic into UTMBs treated cells and observed the changes of cell behavior.Next,the UTMBs treated HepG2 cells were transfected together with miR-837-5p mimic and tissue inhibitor of matrix metalloproteinase-2(TIMP2)overexpression vector,and we detected cell proliferation,apoptosis,invasion and EMT.In vivo,we established a mouse model of subcutaneous transplantation of HepG2 cells and observed the effect of HAND2-AS1 silencing on tumor formation ability.RESULTS We found that UTMBs carrying HAND2-AS1 restricted cell proliferation,invasion,and EMT,encouraged apoptosis,and HAND2-AS1 silencing eliminated the effect of UTMBs.Additionally,miR-873-5p targets the gene HAND2-AS1,which also targets the 3’UTR of TIMP2.And miR-873-5p mimic counteracted the impact of HAND2-AS1.Further,miR-873-5p mimic solely or in combination with pcDNA-TIMP2 had been transformed into HepG2 cells exposed to UTMBs.We discovered that TIMP2 reversed the effect of miR-873-5p mimic caused by the blocked signalling cascade for matrix metalloproteinase(MMP)2/MMP9.In vivo results showed that HAND2-AS1 silencing significantly inhibited tumor formation in mice.CONCLUSION LncRNA HAND2-AS1 promotes TIMP2 expression by targeting miR-873-5p to inhibit HepG2 cell growth and delay HCC progression.

Selection of first-line systemic therapies for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma:A network meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

BACKGROUND The majority of clinical trials of first-line systemic treatments for hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)used placebo or sorafenib as comparators,and there are limited data providing a cross comparison of treatments in this setting,especially for newly-approved immune checkpoint inhibitor and vascular endothelial growth factor inhibitor combination treatments.AIM To systematically review and compare response rates,survival outcomes,and safety of first-line systemic therapies for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma.METHODS We searched PubMed,Science Direct,the Cochrane Database,Excerpta Medica Database,and abstracts from the American Society of Clinical Oncology 2020 annual congress.Eligible studies were randomized controlled trials of systemic therapy enrolling adults with advanced/unresectable HCC.Risk of bias was assessed with the Cochrane risk of bias tool for randomized controlled trials.A network meta-analysis was used to synthesize data and perform direct and indirect comparisons between treatments.P value,a frequentist analog to the surface under the cumulative ranking curve,was used to rank treatments.RESULTS In total,1398 articles were screened and 27 included.Treatments compared were atezolizumab plus bevacizumab,brivanib,donafenib,dovitinib,FOLFOX4,lenvatinib,linifanib,nintedanib,nivolumab,sorafenib,sunitinib,vandetanib,11 sorafenib combination therapies,and three other combination therapies.For overall response rate,lenvatinib ranked 1/19,followed by atezolizumab plus bevacizumab and nivolumab.For progression-free survival(PFS),atezolizumab+bevacizumab was ranked 1/15,followed by lenvatinib.With the exception of atezolizumab+bevacizumab[hazard ratios(HR)PFS=0.90;95%confidence interval(CI):0.64-1.25],the estimated HRs for PFS for all included treatments vs lenvatinib were>1;however,the associated 95%CI passed through unity for bevacizumab plus erlotinib,linifanib,and FOLFOX4.For overall survival,atezolizumab plus bevacizumab was ranked 1/25,followed by vandetanib 100 mg/d and donafinib,with lenvatinib ranked 6/25.Atezolizumab+bevacizumab was associated with a lower risk of death vs lenvatinib(HRos=0.63;95%CI:0.44-0.89),while the HR for overall survival for most other treatments vs lenvatinib had associated 95%CIs that passed through unity.Vandetanib 300 mg/d and 100 mg/d were ranked 1/13 and 2/13,respectively,for the lowest incidence of treatment terminations due to adverse events,followed by sorafenib(5/13),lenvatinib(10/13),and atezolizumab+bevacizumab(13/13).CONCLUSION There is not one single first-line treatment for advanced HCC associated with superior outcomes across all outcome measurements.Therefore,first-line systemic treatment should be selected based on individualized treatment goals.

Retrospective analysis of interventional treatment of hepatic metastasis from gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors

Objective： To analyze the angiography appearance of liver metastases from gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors （GEP-NETs）, and evaluate the clinical efficacy and prognostic factors of interventional treatment for hepatic metastases. Methods： Fifty GEP-NETs patients with hepatic metastases were treated from January 2012 to December 2016, and received transarterial embolization （TAE） in the hepatic tumor or hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy （HAIC）. All patients received 179 times of the intervention therapy in total. Results： Blood supplies were identified in the 50 eases with angiography, which showed that 35 cases had abundant vessels, while 15 eases had poor blood supply. Twenty-two cases were found either collateral blood supply, or portal vein invasion or arterial-portal vein fistula. The best curative efficacy was complete remission （CR） in 4 cases, partial remission （PR） in 28 cases and stable disease （SD） in 18 eases during the process of treatment. The angiography （P=0.047） and the frequency of intervention （P=0.037） showed significantly statistical difference with Kaplan-Meier analysis. The Cox analysis showed that more than 3 times of interventional therapy was an independent prognostic factor. Conclusions： Interventional treatment is safe and effective for GEP-NETs, and is beneficial to patients with main hepatic metastases after endocrine therapy.

Efficacy and Safety of Transdermal Fentanyl(TDF)in Treatment of Pain Caused by Interventional Embolization Therapy

Objective： Interventional embolization therapy is well accepted in cancer treatment, but patient may suffer from a moderate-to-severe pain after therapy and its quality of life （QoL） is influenced, this study is to observe the efficacy and safety of transdermal fentanyl （TDF） in the management of pain caused by interventional embolization therapy. Methods： Morphine 10mg and TDF 25μg/h were immediately used in 52 patients who had moderate-to-severe pain complicated by interventional embolization therapy, the pain intensity was evaluated by visual analogue scale （VAS）. If VAS≥4 at t2 h after treatment, the dosage of TDF added into 50 μg/h. At 0h, 12h, 24h, 72h, 1 week, 2 weeks after TD, the vas and adverse events were observed respectively. Result： There was an obvious decrease in VAS at 12h after TDF treatment in the patients of which only 9 patients used 50ug/h dosage after partial splenic embolization （PSE） therapy. Most patients got satisfactory pain relief both the TDF 25 μg/h and TDF 50 μg/h group （VAS 0-1）. The adverse events were nausea, vomiting and dizzy, especially in the TDF 50 μg/h group. No respiratory depression was observed and only one patient got retention of urine. Conclusion： TDF was effective and safe in the treatment of moderate-to-severe pain after interventional embolizafion therapy.

Clinical-radiomics predictors to identify the suitability of transarterial chemoembolization treatment in intermediate-stage hepatocellular carcinoma:A multicenter study

Background: Although transarterial chemoembolization(TACE) is the first-line therapy for intermediatestage hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC), it is not suitable for all patients. This study aimed to determine how to select patients who are not suitable for TACE as the first treatment choice. Methods: A total of 243 intermediate-stage HCC patients treated with TACE at three centers were retrospectively enrolled, of which 171 were used for model training and 72 for testing. Radiomics features were screened using the Spearman correlation analysis and the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator(LASSO) algorithm. Subsequently, a radiomics model was established using extreme gradient boosting(XGBoost) with 5-fold cross-validation. The Shapley additive explanations(SHAP) method was used to visualize the radiomics model. A clinical model was constructed using univariate and multivariate logistic regression. The combined model comprising the radiomics signature and clinical factors was then established. This model’s performance was evaluated by discrimination, calibration, and clinical application. Generalization ability was evaluated by the testing cohort. Finally, the model was used to analyze overall and progression-free survival of different groups. Results: A third of the patients(81/243) were unsuitable for TACE treatment. The combined model had a high degree of accuracy as it identified TACE-unsuitable cases, at a sensitivity, specificity, and area under the receiver operating characteristic curve(AUC) of 0.759, 0.885, 0.906 [95% confidence interval(CI): 0.859-0.953] in the training cohort and 0.826, 0.776, and 0.894(95% CI: 0.815-0.972) in the testing cohort, respectively. Conclusions: The high degree of accuracy of our clinical-radiomics model makes it clinically useful in identifying intermediate-stage HCC patients who are unsuitable for TACE treatment.

Mid-term outcomes of left subclavian artery revascularization with Castor stent graft in treatment of type B aortic dissection in left subclavian artery

Background:Here we analyzed mid-term data of thoracic endovascular aneurysm repair(TEVAR)surgery with Castor single-branched stent graft placement for the management of Stanford type B aortic dissection(STBAD)involving the left subclavian artery(LSA).Methods:Between April 2014 and February 2019,32 patients with STBAD involving a Castor single-branched stent graft were included.We analyzed their outcomes,including technical success rate(TSR),surgical duration(SD),presence of ischemia,perioperative complications,LSA patency,and survival rate(SR),using computed tomography angiography and clinical evaluation during mid-term follow-up.Results:The mean patient age was 54.63±12.37 years(range,36–83 years).The TSR was 96.88%(n=31/32).The mean SD was 87.44±10.89 with a mean contrast volume of 125.31±19.30 mL.No neurological complications or deaths occurred during the study period.The patients had a mean hospital stay of 7.84±3.20 days.At a mean follow-up of 68.78±11.26 months,four non-aortic deaths(12.5%)were observed.The LSA patency rate was 100%(n=28/28).There was only one case of type I endoleak immediately after surgery(3.12%)(type I from LSA).However,none of the patients experienced type II endoleaks,and there were no cases of retrograde type A aortic dissection or stent graft-driven new distal entry.Finally,all patients exhibited good LSA patency.Conclusion:TEVAR using a Castor single-branched stent graft may be a highly feasible and efficient procedure for the management of STBAD involving the LSA.

Current status and prospect of treatments for recurrent hepatocellular carcinoma

Owing to its heterogeneous and highly aggressive nature,hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)has a high recurrence rate,which is a non-negligible problem despite the increasing number of available treatment options.Recent clinical trials have attempted to reduce the recurrence and develop innovative treatment options for patients with recurrent HCC.In the event of liver remnant recurrence,the currently available treatment options include repeat hepatectomy,salvage liver transplantation,tumor ablation,transcatheter arterial chemoembolization,stereotactic body radiotherapy,systemic therapies,and combination therapy.In this review,we summarize the strategies to reduce the recurrence of high-risk tumors and aggressive therapies for recurrent HCC.Additionally,we discuss methods to prevent HCC recurrence and prognostic models constructed based on predictors of recurrence to develop an appropriate surveillance program.

Overview of peripheral arteriovenous malformations:From diagnosis to treatment methods

Based on the latest classification by the International Society for the Study of Vascular Anomalies in 2018,vascular malformations(VMs)can be categorized into simple,combined,VMs of major named vessels,and VMs associated with other anomalies.Simple VMs include lymphatic,venous,capillary,and arteriovenous malformations(AVMs).AVMs represent disorders of direct arteriovenous shunts caused by the absence of a capillary bed between the involved arteries and veins.This abnormal vascular communication causes arterial blood to accumulate in the venous vessels,thus resulting in venous hypertension and characteristic clinical manifestations,such as pulsation,tremors,and elevated temperature.AVMs can occur sporadically or as manifestations of syndromic lesions and are considered among the most complex and challenging VMs.The diagnosis and treatment of AVMs can vary depending on the lesion location and associated clinical symptoms,thus complicating their management.Herein,we discuss peripheral AVMs in terms of their clinical manifestations,imaging examinations,and staging systems to provide a comprehensive reference for the treatment,evaluation methods,and follow-up procedures for this vascular anomaly.

Immunological factors in cirrhosis diseases from a bibliometric point of view

BACKGROUND Cirrhosis results from persistent liver injury that leads to liver fibrosis.Immunological factors play important regulatory roles in the development and progression of cirrhosis.Bibliometrics is one of the most commonly used methods for systematic evaluation of a field of study.To date,there are no bibliometric studies on the role of immunological factors in cirrhosis.AIM To provide a comprehensive overview of the knowledge structure and research hotspots of immunological factors in cirrhosis.METHODS We retrieved publications related to immunological factors in cirrhosis between 2003 to 2022 from the Web of Science Core Collection database on December 7,2022.The search strategy was TS=((Liver Cirrhosis OR hepatic cirrhosis OR liver fibrosis)AND(Immunologic*Factor*OR Immune Factor*OR Immunomodulator*OR Biological Response Modifier*OR Biomodulator*)).Only original articles and reviews were included.A total of 2873 publications were analyzed using indicators of publication and citation metrics,countries,institutes,authors,journals,references,and keywords by CiteSpace and VOSviewer.RESULTS A total of 5104 authors from 1173 institutions across 51 countries published 2873 papers on cirrhosis and immunological factors in 281 journals.In the past 20 years,the increasing number of related annual publications and citations indicates that research on immunological factors in cirrhosis has become the focus of attention and has entered a period of accelerated development.The United States(781/27.18%),China(538/18.73%),and Germany(300/10.44%)were the leading countries in this field.Most of the top 10 authors were from the United States(4)and Germany(3),with Gershwin ME contributing the most related articles(42).World Journal of Gastroenterology was the most productive journal,whereas Hepatology was the most co-cited journal.Current research hotspots regarding immunological factors in cirrhosis include fibrosis,cirrhosis,inflammation,liver fibrosis,expression,hepatocellular carcinoma,activation,primary biliary cirrhosis,disease,and hepatic stellate cells.Burst keywords(e.g.,epidemiology,gut microbiota,and pathways)represent research frontiers that have attracted the interest of researchers in recent years.CONCLUSION This bibliometric study comprehensively summarizes the research developments and directions of immunological factors in cirrhosis,providing new ideas for promoting scientific research and clinical applications.

High expression of the circadian clock gene NPAS2 is associated with progression and poor prognosis of gastric cancer:A singlecenter study

BACKGROUND The prognostic assessment of patients after surgical resection of gastric cancer(GC)patients is critical.However,the role of the circadian clock gene NPAS2 expression in GC remains unknown.AIM To explore the relationship between NPAS2 and the survival prognosis of GC patients and clarify its role in evaluating GC prognosis.METHODS The tumor tissues and clinical data of 101 patients with GC were collected retrospectively.Immunohistochemical staining(IHC)was used to detect the expression of NPAS2 protein in GC and adjacent tissues.Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analysis was used to determine the independent prognostic factors of GC,and a nomogram prediction model was established.The receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve,the ROC area under the curve,the calibration curve,and C-index were used to evaluate the predictive effectiveness of the model.Kaplan Meier analysis was used to compare the risk stratification of subgroups according to the median score in the nomogram model of each patient.RESULTS Microarray IHC analysis showed that the positive rate of NPAS2 protein expression in GC tissues was 65.35%,which was significantly higher than 30.69%in adjacent tissues.The high expression of NPAS2 was correlated with tumor-node-metastasis(TNM)stage(P<0.05),pN stage(P<0.05),metastasis(P<0.05),venous invasion(P<0.05),lymphatic invasion(P<0.05),and lymph node positive(P<0.05)of GC.Kaplan Meier survival analysis showed that the 3-year overall survival(OS)of patients with high NPAS2 expression was significantly shortened(P<0.0001).Univariate and multivariate COX regression analysis showed that TNM stage(P=0.009),metastasis(P=0.009),and NPAS2 expression(P=0.020)were independent prognostic factors of OS in GC patients for 3 years.The nomogram prediction model based on independent prognostic factors has a C-Index of 0.740(95%CI:0.713-0.767).Furthermore,subgroup analysis showed that the 3-year OS time of the high-risk group was significantly lower than that of the low-risk group(P<0.0001).CONCLUSION NPAS2 is highly expressed in GC tissues and is closely related to worse OS in patients.Therefore,the evaluation of NPAS2 expression may be a potential marker for GC prognosis evaluation.Notably,the nomogram model based on NPAS2 can improve the accuracy of GC prognosis prediction and assist clinicians in postoperative patient management and decision-making.

Diagnostic value of matrix metalloproteinases 2, 7 and 9 in urine for early detection of colorectal cancer

BACKGROUND A noninvasive biomarker with high diagnostic performance is urgently needed for the early diagnosis of colorectal cancer(CRC).AIM To evaluate the diagnostic value of matrix metalloproteinases(MMPs)2,7 and 9 in urine for CRC.METHODS Of 59 healthy controls,47 patients with colon polyps and 82 patients with CRC were included in this study.Carcinoembryonic antigen(CEA)in serum and MMP2,MMP7,and MMP9 in urine were detected.The combined diagnostic model of the indicators was established by binary logistic regression.The receiver operating characteristic curve(ROC)of the subjects was used to evaluate the independent and combined diagnostic value of the indicators.RESULTS The MMP2,MMP7,MMP9,and CEA levels in the CRC group differed significantly from levels in the healthy controls(P<0.05).The levels of MMP7,MMP9,and CEA also differed significantly between the CRC group and the colon polyps group(P<0.05).The area under the curve(AUC)distinguishing between the healthy control and the CRC patients using the joint model with CEA,MMP2,MMP7 and MMP9 was 0.977,and the sensitivity and specificity were 95.10%and 91.50%,respectively.For early-stage CRC,the AUC was 0.975,and the sensitivity and specificity were 94.30%and 98.30%,respectively.For advanced stage CRC,the AUC was 0.979,and the sensitivity and specificity were 95.70%and 91.50%,respectively.Using CEA,MMP7 and MMP9 to jointly established a model distinguishing the colorectal polyp group from the CRC group,the AUC was 0.849,and the sensitivity and specificity were 84.10%and 70.20%,respectively.For early-stage CRC,the AUC was 0.818,and the sensitivity and specificity were 76.30%and 72.30%,respectively.For advanced stage CRC,the AUC was 0.875,and the sensitivity and specificity were 81.80%and 72.30%,respectively.CONCLUSION MMP2,MMP7 and MMP 9 may exhibit diagnostic value for the early detection of CRC and may serve as auxiliary diagnostic markers for CRC.

Redefining the tumor microenvironment with emerging therapeutic strategies

The environment surrounding a tumor,known as the tumor microenvironment(TME),plays a role in how cancer progresses and responds to treatment.It poses both challenges and opportunities for improving cancer therapy.Recent progress in understanding the TME complexity and diversity has led to approaches for treating cancer.This perspective discusses the strategies for targeting the TME,such as adjusting networks using extracellular vesicles to deliver drugs and enhancing immune checkpoint inhibitors(ICIS)through combined treatments.Furthermore,it highlights adoptive cell transfer(ACT)therapies as an option for tumors.By studying how components of the TME interact and utilizing technologies like single-cell RNA sequencing and spatial transcriptomics,we can develop more precise and efficient treatments for cancer.This article emphasizes the need to reshape the TME to boost antitumor immunity and overcome resistance to therapy,providing guidance for research and clinical practices in precision oncology.

Successful splenic artery embolization in a patient with Behçet’s syndrome-associated splenic rupture:A case report

BACKGROUND Splenic rupture associated with Behçet’s syndrome(BS)is extremely rare,and there is no consensus on its management.In this case report,a patient with BSassociated splenic rupture was successfully treated with splenic artery embolization(SAE)and had a good prognosis after the intervention.CASE SUMMARY The patient was admitted for pain in the left upper abdominal quadrant.He was diagnosed with splenic rupture.Multiple oral and genital aphthous ulcers were observed,and acne scars were found on his back.He had a 2-year history of BS diagnosis,with symptoms of oral and genital ulcers.At that time,he was treated with oral corticosteroids for 1 month,but the symptoms did not alleviate.He underwent SAE to treat the rupture.On the first day after SAE,the patient reported a complete resolution of abdominal pain and was discharged 5 d later.Three months after the intervention,a computed tomography examination showed that the splenic hematoma had formed a stable cystic effusion,suggesting a good prognosis.CONCLUSION SAE might be a good choice for BS-associated splenic rupture based on good surgical practice and material selection.

Spontaneous intra-abdominal hematomas in a hepatocellular carcinoma patient treated with lenvatinib:a case report

A 44-year-old patient was admitted with tumor rupture in the left hepatic lateral lobe,and he underwent emergent exploratory laparotomy and proceeded for hepatic left lateral lobectomy on September 19,2021.The final diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma was confirmed by histopathological examination of the surgical specimen.Afterward,the patient received hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy with FOLFOX(oxaliplatin,fluorouracil,and leucovorin)for 5 cycles.Subsequently,recurrence of the hepatocellular carcinoma was diagnosed in the abdominal cavity.The patient was then treated with lenvatinib.Within less than 1 month of the treatment with lenvatinib,the patient was admitted to the emergency room on June 2,2022,because of acute intra-abdominal bleeding(hematomas).Percutaneous intra-abdominal angiography found that the bleeding vessels were the right gastroepiploic artery and left gastric artery.The patient was stabilized after arterial embolization using gelatin sponges.The diagnosis and management of spontaneous intra-abdominal hematomas are discussed.

Impact of Serum Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor on Prognosis in Patients with Unresectable Hepatocellular Carcinoma after Transarterial Chemoembolization

Objective： To investigate the expression level with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma （HCC） and to assess the impact of serum VEGF as chemoembolization （TACE） treatments. of serum vascular endothelial growth factor （VEGF） in patients and its relationship with the c a predictive factor for HCC nicopathological characteristics, prognosis during transarterial Methods： Serum VEGF levels were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA） in 60 random patients who underwent TACE or transarterial infusion （TAI） for unresectable HCC between May and September 2008 and 12 healthy volunteers were also involved in this study to serve as control. All patients＇ clinicopathological features were retrospectively analyzed. Serum VEGF levels were correlated with clinicopathological features of the HCC patients. The patients＇ survival rates were analyzed with Kaplan-Meier survival curves and compared by the log-rank test. The prognostic significance of serum VEGF levels and factors related to survival rate were evaluated by univariate and multivariate analysis. Results： The median serum VEGF level in the HCC patients was 285 pg/ml （range 14-1,207 pg/ml）, significantly higher than that of healthy controls （P=0.021）. The serum VEGF levels were significantly correlated with platelet counts （r=0.396, P=0.002） but not other clinicopathological features. Patients with serum VEGF level 〉285 pg/ml had worse overall survival compared with those with serum VEGF level 〈285 pg/ml （P=0.002）. By multivariate analysis, the serum VEGF level was a significant prognostic factor. Conclusion： High serum VEGF levels may predict poor prognosis of HCC after TACE. This study highlights the importance of tumor biomarker as a prognostic predictor in TACE therapy for HCC, which has an intrinsic problem of unavailability of histopathological prognostic features.

Application of retrievable Solitaire AB stents in the endovascular treatment of acute ischemic stroke

Purpose: Retrievable stents are widely used in acute ischemic stroke(AIS); however, the results remain unclear in Chinese patients. This study aimed to explore the usefulness of Solitaire AB stents in AIS. Materials and Methods: Seventy-three AIS patients treated with Solitaire AB stents for thrombectomy of large artery occlusion of anterior circulation in January 2014-June 2015 were retrospectively evaluated. Recanalization was assessed with the Thrombolysis In Cerebral Ischemia(TICI) scale. Clinical outcomes were assessed according to the National Institute of Health Stroke Scale(NIHSS) and the modified Rankin Scale(mRS). Operation-related complications were recorded. The main factors affecting successful recanalization with Solitaire AB were analyzed. Results: The 73 patients enrolled included 39 males and 34 females(median age of 59 [31-78] years); 77 Solitaire AB stents were used. The initial recanalization rate with Solitaire AB as the first thrombectomy method was 53.42%(39/73; recanalization group). Among the 34 patients with failed stent retrieval, 32 underwent other treatments; the final arterial recanalization rate was 89.04%(65/73). Perioperative embolization events and symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage(sICH) occurred in 5 and 8 patients, respectively. The mean NIHSS score was 9.12±3.86 one week after thrombectomy, significantly lower compared with admission values. In 31 patients(42.47%), NIHSS score decreased by >8. Good functional independence(mRS score≤2) was achieved in 39 patients(53.42%) at 90 days; 12 patients(16.44%) died. Compared with the recanalization group, the remaining patients showed lower AF and higher LAA percentages. Conclusion: Solitaire AB stents are useful in the endovascular treatment of AIS.

A comparative study between Embosphere~ and conventional transcatheter arterial chemoembolization for treatment of unresectable liver metastasis from GIST

Objective：Transcatheter arterial chemoembolization （TACE） is a standard treatment for hepatocellular carcinoma （HCC） and/or some unresectable liver metastasis tumors.Hypervascular liver metastatic lesions such as metastasis from gastrointestinal stromal tumor （GIST） are an indication for transcatheter arterial embolization （TAE）.The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of Embosphere（㊣）-TAE （Embo-TAE） in comparison with conventional TACE （cTACE） for the treatment of liver metastasis from GIST.Methods：A total of 45 patients who underwent TACE between Aug 2008 and Feb 2013 were enrolled.Patients with GIST who underwent TAE with Embosphere（㊣） （n=19） were compared with controls who received cTACE （n=26）.The primary end points were treatment response and treatment-related adverse events.The secondary end points were progression-free survival （PFS） and overall survival （OS）.Results：The treatment response of Embo-TAE group was significandy higher than that of the cTACE group （P＜0.001）.The PFS was significandy better in the Embosphere（㊣）-group than in the cTACE group （56.6 and 42.1 weeks,respectively; P=0.003）.However,there was no statistically significant difference in liver toxicity between the two groups （P＞0.05）.The median OS in the Embo-TAE group was longer than that in the cTACE group （74.0 weeks,95％ CI：68.2-79.8 vs.61.7 weeks,95％ CI：56.2-67.2 weeks） （unadjusted P=0.045）.The use of Embo-TAE significantly reduced the risk of death in patients with GIST with liver metastases according to the Cox proportonal hazards regression model [hazard ratio （HR）：0.149; 95％ CI：0.064-0.475].Conclusions：TAE with Embosphcre（㊣） showed better treatment response and delayed tumor progression compared with cTACE.There was no significant difference in treatment-related hepatic toxicities.EmboTAE thus appears to be a feasible and promising approach in the treatment of liver metastasis from GIST.

Analysis of circulating regulatory T cells （CD4 ＋CD25 ＋CD 127-）after cryosurgery in prostate cancer

This study was performed to assess the response of regulatory T cells （Tregs） following cryosurgery in prostate cancer （PCa） patients by measuring their frequency and immune function. Blood was collected prior to and at 4 and 8 weeks after treatment in 30 patients with high-risk PCa who underwent cryosurgery and from 15 healthy volunteers. Circulating CD4＋CD25＋CD127- Tregs were isolated. Their frequency was detected by flow cytometry, and immune suppressive function was evaluated by measuring the proliferation of CD4＋CD25- T cells cocultured with Tregs. The results showed that the percentage of circulating CD4＋CD25＋CD127- Tregs was increased in PCa patients compared to healthy volunteers （7.6%±0.73% vs. 5.8%±0.54%, P〈0.001）. The frequency of circulating CD4＋CD25＋CD127- Tregs was reduced 4 weeks after cryosurgery compared to before surgery （6.3%__.0.58% vs. 7.6%±0.73%, P〈0.001）, and the decrease persisted for 8 weeks. However, the suppressive function of Tregs was increased in eight of 12 patients, which might contribute to cancer recurrence. Then the response of circulating Tregs is complicated after cryosurgery for PCa, and further studies are warranted.

Diagnostic value evaluation of trefoil factors family 3 for the early detection of colorectal cancer

AIM The purpose of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic value of trefoil factor family 3(TFF3) for the early detection of colorectal cancer(CC). METHODS Serum TFF3 and carcino-embryonic antigen(CEA) were detected in 527 individuals, including 115 healthy control(HC), 198 colorectal adenoma(CA), and 214 CC individuals in the training group. RESULTS Serum TFF3 showed no significant correlation with age, gender, or tumor location but showed significant correlation with the tumor stage. Serum TFF3 in the CC group was significantly higher than in the HC or CA group. The AUC values of TFF3 for discriminating between HC and CC and between CA and CC were 0.930(0.903, 0.958) and 0.834(0.796, 0.873). A multivariate model combining TFF3 and CEA was built. Compared to TFF3 or CEA alone, the multivariate model showed significant improvement(P < 0.001). For discriminating between HC and CC, HC and early stage CC, HC and advanced stage CC, CA and CC, CA and early stage CC, and CA and advanced stage CC in the training group, the sensitivities were 92.99%, 91.46%, 93.18%, 73.83%, 76.83%, and 81.82%, and the specificities were 91.30%, 91.30%, 93.91%, 88.38%, 77.27%, and 88.38%, respectively. After validation, the sensitivities were 89.39%, 85.71%, 90.79%, 72.73%, 71.43%, and 78.95%, and the specificities were 87.85%, 87.85%, 2.52%, 87.85%, 80.77%, and 87.50%, respectively. CONCLUSION The multivariate diagnostic model that included TFF3 and CEA showed significant improvement over the conventional biomarker CEA and might provide a potential method for the early detection of CC.