Role of shear wave elastography measured in the flaccid state in predicting arteriogenic erectile dysfunction

The gold-standard method for diagnosing arteriogenic erectile dysfunction (AED) is the penile Doppler ultrasonography. We proposed a novel method for predicting AED using ultrasonic shear wave elastography (SWE) considering that the former was invasive and variable. A total of 98 male patients were enrolled in our study, referred for ED between December 2018 and October 2020. For comparison, we also included 42 volunteers from the Healthy Physical Examination Center of our hospital. The Penile Doppler Ultrasonography (PDU) and SWE were performed for all patients with the intracavernosal injection (ICI). We named three groups as AED group, nonvascular ED group and healthy controls group. No statistically significant differences were found among the three groups in terms of demographic and clinical characteristics. There were no significant differences in IIEF-5 between AED and nonvascular ED. A significant (r = 0.642, p < 0.0001) positive correlation between flaccid and erectile SWE was observed. With a cut-off value of 13.45 KPa, the area under curve, specificity, and sensitivity of the SWE values under the flaccid state in distinguishing AED from healthy subjects were 0.867, 0.786 and 0.896 respectively. The SWE value in the flaccid state can distinguish the AED from healthy subjects.     

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and risk of prostatic diseases: Roles of insulin resistance

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), the liver component of metabolic syndrome, is considered to be associated with high risk of prostatic diseases but a systematic review has not been conducted. Under a comprehensive review of the eligible clinical studies, a potential positive association between NAFLD and benign prostatic hyperplasia/prostate cancer (BPH/PCa) has been postulated. Insulin resistance and metabolic aberrations are considered to be the potential mechanism for such association. However, the relationship between NAFLD and other prostatic diseases, that is, prostatic inflammation and lower urinary tract symptoms, seems vague due to limited relevant studies in the literatures. The present review highlights that clinicians should be conscious of the detrimental effect of NAFLD on the development of BPH and PCa.     

The application of physical pretreatment in photodynamic therapy for skin diseases

Lasers in Medical Science - Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is widely used in skin diseases; the response rate of PDT treatment varies widely. The limited penetration in the tissue of photosensitizers...     

Analysis of pharmacological mechanisms of Yinyanghuo as treatment of erectile dysfunction with network pharmacology-based strategy

Erectile dysfunction is considered an important health problem that impacts the quality of life of men. Yinyanghuo, also called Epimedium or Horny Goat Weed, is a frequently used Chinese traditional herbal medicine, commonly used in treating erectile dysfunction in China. A network pharmacology method was performed systematically, at a molecular level, to analyse the pharmacological mechanism of Yinyanghuo as erectile dysfunction therapy. The network pharmacology method used in this study primarily includes prescreening of the active compounds, prediction of targets, network analysis and gene enrichment analysis. This network analysis proved that 4 targets (AR, NR3C2, PDE5A and BMP2) could be the targets of Yinyanghuo therapy on erectile dysfunction. Besides, gene enrichment analysis predicted that Yinyanghuo might have a role in erectile dysfunction by regulating 10 molecular functions, 8 cellular components, 10 biological processes and 36 possible targets related to 10 signalling pathways. Our study demonstrated the molecular and pharmacological mechanisms of Yinyanghuo against erectile dysfunction with a holistic approach and demonstrated a powerful method for analysing pharmacological mechanisms and rational utilisation of Traditional Chinese Medicine clinically.     

Digoxin reduces the incidence of prostate cancer but increases the cancer-specific mortality: A systematic review and pooled analysis

Digoxin, a commonly used drug for congestive heart failure and cardiac arrhythmias, has been reported to exert cytotoxic and apoptosis-inducing effects on prostate cancer (PCa) cells. In this study, we aimed to perform a pooled analysis to summarise all the evidence related to the effects of digoxin on PCa development. Four electronic databases were systematically searched to filter the eligible studies. The hazard ratio (HR) with its 95% confidence interval (CI) was calculated. This study was registered on PROSPERO (ID: CRD42021226885). Ten clinical studies with a total of 108,444 participants (15,835 individuals were digoxin users) were included. The pooled result from 6 included studies demonstrated that digoxin usage was correlated with a significant decrease in PCa risk (adjusted RR = 0.892, 95% CI: 0.799–0.997, p = .044) when compared with the nonusers. Synthetic result of 4 eligible studies revealed that digoxin significantly correlated with higher prostate cancer-specific mortality than the controls (adjusted HR = 1.142, 95% CI: 1.005–1.297). No statistical heterogeneity was detected during this analysis (all I² < 50%, p > .1). Our study confirmed a preventive effect of digoxin usage for the risk of PCa in men. However, digoxin use was associated with a significantly elevated risk of prostate cancer-specific mortality. This finding needs more well-designed studies to better interpret the causality.     

Investigating the effects of walnut ointment on non-healing burn wounds

Effective treatments for non-healing burn wounds are an unmet need for 95% of burn sufferers. Approaches currently available to treat non-healing burn wounds are not satisfactory due to undesirable side-effects or expense. The anti-oxidation and antibacterial activities of walnuts are recommended for treating chronic diseases. Walnut ointment has been developed and successfully applied to treat non-healing burn wounds in our hospital for decades. We report herein a detailed retrospective case review examining patients’ response to the walnut ointment. The walnut ointment has shortened healing time of non-healing burn wounds and improved clinical outcomes. In order to investigate the mechanism of action, walnut ointment has been applied on wounds of porcine full-thickness burn wound models. Histological and immunohistochemical analysis indicated our walnut ointment supports wound healing through promoting keratinocyte proliferation and differentiation. Taken together, we recommend the walnut ointment offers an effective and economical treatment for patients presenting with non-healing burn wounds.     

Approach selection and outcomes of craniopharyngioma resection: a single-institute study

Neurosurgical Review - Since there are many approaches for successful craniopharyngioma resection, how to choose a suitable approach remains problematic. The aim of this study was to summarize...     

基于SEER数据库的原发性中枢神经系统淋巴瘤不同治疗方法的疗效分析

目的探讨原发性中枢神经系统淋巴瘤(PCNSL)患者的预后因素及不同治疗方法的临床效果。方法回顾性分析1975年1月至2016年12月美国SEER数据库中4812例PCNSL患者的临床资料。其中男性2831例,女性1981例,男女比例为1.4∶1.0;发病年龄<60岁者2236例(46.47%),60~<75岁者1718例(35.70%),≥75岁者858例(17.83%);幕上肿瘤2417例(50.23%),幕下肿瘤299例(6.21%),脑内多发肿瘤554例(11.51%),其他或未指明部位的脑部肿瘤1542例(32.04%);弥漫大B细胞淋巴瘤(DLBCL)3513例(73.00%),非DLBCL 234例(4.86%),其他或未指明类型的淋巴瘤1065例(22.13%);治疗方式为单独活检的2010例(41.77%),单独部分切除61例(1.27%),单独完全切除54例(1.12%),活检+化疗2384例(49.54%),部分切除+化疗159例(3.30%),完全切除+化疗144例(2.99%)。采用单因素及多因素Cox回归模型分析影响患者总体生存的预后因素;采用Fine-Gray检验与竞争风险模型研究影响患者肿瘤特异性生存的预后因素;生存分析采用Kaplan-Meier法,并通过Log-rank进行比较。结果单因素及多因素Cox风险回归模型分析结果显示,影响PCNSL患者总体生存的独立预后因素包括年龄、种族、婚姻状态、肿瘤部位、病理学亚型、手术、化疗、合并其他恶性肿瘤、合并HIV感染等。Fine-Gray检验与竞争风险模型分析结果显示,影响患者肿瘤特异生存的独立预后因素包括年龄、种族、婚姻状态、肿瘤部位、病理学亚型、手术方式、化疗、合并其他恶性肿瘤、合并HIV感染,而性别与放疗均与肿瘤特异生存无明显相关性。与活检相比,PCNSL患者可能从手术切除中获益(部分切除:HR=0.805,95%CI:0.656~0.989,P=0.04;完全切除:HR=0.521,95%CI:0.414~0.656,P<0.01)。Kaplan-Meier生存分析结果显示,活检+化疗组中位生存时间为28个月(95%CI:24.497~31.503),单独活检组为2个月(95%CI:1.756~2.244),单独部分切除组为2个月(95%CI:1.410~2.590),单独完全切除组为19个月(95%CI:0~39.311),部分切除+化疗组为67个月(95%CI:46.187~87.813),完全切除+化疗组为84个月(95%CI:57.448~110.552),使用不同治疗方法的患者的中位生存时间的差异有统计学意义(P<0.01)。结论手术切除可能改善部分PCNSL患者的预后。化疗可能使肿瘤完全切除或部分切除患者的肿瘤特异生存时间延长。     

Association between atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases risk and renal outcome in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus

AimsChronic kidney disease (CKD) and diabetes mellitus increase atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases (ASCVD) risk. However, the association between renal outcome of diabetic kidney disease (DKD) and ASCVD risk is unclear.MethodsThis retrospective study enrolled 218 type 2 diabetic patients with biopsy-proven DKD, and without known cardiovascular diseases. Baseline characteristics were obtained and the 10-year ASCVD risk score was calculated using the Pooled Cohort Equation (PCE). Renal outcome was defined as progression to end-stage renal disease (ESRD). The association between ASCVD risk and renal function and outcome was analyzed with logistic regression and Cox analysis.ResultsAmong all patients, the median 10-year ASCVD risk score was 14.1%. The median of ASCVD risk score in CKD stage 1, 2, 3, and 4 was 10.9%, 12.3%, 16.5%, and 14.8%, respectively (p = 0.268). Compared with patients with lower ASCVD risk (＜14.1%), those with higher ASCVD risk had lower eGFR, higher systolic blood pressure, and more severe renal interstitial inflammation. High ASCVD risk (>14.1%) was an independent indicator of renal dysfunction in multivariable-adjusted logistic analysis (OR, 3.997; 95%CI, 1.385–11.530; p = 0.010), though failed to be an independent risk factor for ESRD in patients with DKD in univariate and multivariate Cox analysis.ConclusionsDKD patients even in CKD stage 1 had comparable ASCVD risk score to patients in CKD stage 2, 3, and 4. Higher ASCVD risk indicated severe renal insufficiency, while no prognostic value of ASVCD risk for renal outcome was observed, which implied macroangiopathy and microangiopathy in patients with DKD were related, but relatively independent.