The Changing Paradigms for Breast Cancer Surgery: Performing Fewer and Less-Invasive Operations

Historically, through the conduct of prospective clinical trials, breast cancer surgeons have performed less radical breast and axillary surgeries with no survival decrement to our patients. Currently, other opportunities exist for the treating breast surgeon to do less. Possibilities include active surveillance for ductal carcinoma in situ, ablative therapy for small primary breast cancers, selective omission of a sentinel node biopsy, and selective elimination of breast surgery after neoadjuvant systemic therapy. Breast surgeons must be leaders in the development and testing of effective therapy with the least intervention possible.     

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) DNA quantification in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid of immunocompromised patients with CMV pneumonia

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) pneumonia causes major morbidity and mortality. Its diagnosis requires demonstration of viral cytopathic changes in tissue, entailing risks of lung biopsy. This study aimed to determine CMV viral load (VL) thresholds in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) for diagnosis of CMV pneumonia in immunocompromised patients. CMV VL in BALF was studied in 17 patients (83% transplant recipients) and 21 control subjects with and without CMV pneumonia, respectively, using an FDA‐approved PCR assay (Cobas^® AmpliPrep/Cobas TaqMan^® CMV Test, Roche Molecular Systems, Inc.) calibrated to the WHO International Standard for CMV DNA (NIBSC: 09/162). Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis produced a BALF CMV VL threshold of 34 800, IU/mL with 91.7% sensitivity and 100.0% specificity for diagnosis of possible, probable, and proven CMV pneumonia in transplant patients, while a threshold of 656 000 IU/mL yielded 100% sensitivity and specificity among biopsy‐proven cases. For all immunocompromised patients, a VL threshold of 274 IU/mL was selected. VL thresholds also were normalized to BALF cell count yielding a threshold of 0.32 IU/10⁶ cells with 91.7% sensitivity and 90.5% specificity for possible, probable, and proven CMV pneumonia in transplant recipients. Monitoring CMV VL in BALF may be a less invasive method for diagnosing CMV pneumonia in immunocompromised patients.     

Mechanism of Sclerostin/Lrp4 in the regulation of vascular smooth muscle cell calcification

Objective To investigate the possible mechanism of sclerostin/Lrp4 in calcification of VSMC induced by high phosphorus and the protective effect of Ginkgo biloba extract. Methods Aortic vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) of SD rats were extracted and identified. VSMCs were divided into normal control group, high phosphorus induced calcification group (10 mmol/L β-glycerophosphate+50 μg/ml ascorbic acid), and high phosphorus induced calcification+Ginkgo biloba extract intervention group (10 mmol/L β-glycerophosphate+50 μg/ml ascorbic acid+0.5 mg/ml GBE), cultured in different mediums for 14 days. Vonkossa staining and alizarin red staining were used to detect the calcification of VSMCs. The mRNA level of BGP was detected by real time PCR, and the protein expressions of sclerostin and Lrp4 were detected by Western blot. Results Compared with normal control group, vonkossa staining and alizarin red staining showed significant calcium deposition in calcification group. Compared with calcification group, calcium salt deposition was significantly reduced in GBE treatment group. Real time PCR results showed β-catenin and BGP mRNA expressions in VSMC calcification group were higher than those in normal control group (P＜0.05). mRNA expressions of β-catenin and BGP in GBE treatment group were lower than those in calcification group (all P＜0.05). Compared with normal control group, the protein expression of sclerostin was increased, but the protein expression of Lrp4 was decreased in calcified group (all P＜0.05). Compared with calcification group, the protein expression of sclerostin decreased and the protein expression of Lrp4 increased in GBE treatment group (all P＜0.05). Conclusions High phosphorus can induce VSMC calcification by activating Wn/β-catenin signaling pathway. Sclerostin/Lrp4 is involved in hyperphosphine-induced VSMC calcification. GBE can reduce the high phosphorus induced VSMC calcification by regulating the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway.     

腹腔镜联合胆道镜经胆囊管治疗胆总管结石的疗效观察

【摘要】〓目的〓评价腹腔镜联合胆道镜经胆囊管治疗胆总管结石的疗效。方法〓回顾性分析2012年1月至2014年9月在广东医学院附属福田医院治疗的195例胆总管结石患者,按照术式分为腹腔镜联合术中胆道镜经胆囊管胆道探查取石术(LTCBDE)组(43例)、腹腔镜胆道探查“T”管引流(LCBDE)组(65例)和剖腹胆囊切除、胆总管探查取石、“T”管引流术(OCBD)组(87例)。比较三组患者手术时间、术中出血量、术后肛门排气时间、视觉模拟评分法(VAS)评分、并发症发生率,以及三组治疗前后CRP、PA、TBIL和ALT水平的变化。结果〓3组患者均成功进行手术,LTCBDE组除手术时间比OCBD组长外,术中出血量、术后VAS评分、肛门排气时间、术后住院时间和并发症明显少于LCBDE和OCBD组(P<0.001)。LTCBDE组的并发症发生率为4.7%,明显低于LCBDE组的15.4%和OCBD组的23.0%,差异有统计学意义(P<0.05)。治疗后,三组的CRP、TBIL和ALT水平比治疗前明显降低(P<0.001),而PA水平比治疗前明显升高(P<0.001)。LTCBDE组的降低和升高水平比其余两组更为明显(P<0.001)。结论〓LTCBDE具有创伤小、并发症少、费用低、术后生活质量高等优点,是一种有效、安全及经济的术式。