利用耳甲腔型小耳畸形残耳皮瓣及软骨改善再造耳颅耳沟效果观察

目的探讨对先天性耳甲腔型小耳畸形患者行全扩张法全耳再造术后，利用残耳皮瓣改善再造耳颅耳沟的效果。方法回顾分析 2012 年 1 月—2017 年 1 月收治的 150 例先天性耳甲腔型小耳畸形患者。其中男 92 例，女 58 例；年龄 6.5～35.0 岁，平均 11.1 岁。采用一期扩张器埋置、二期全扩张法全耳再造术后发现上部颅耳沟浅显；于 6～12 个月后行三期再造耳修整。将残耳垂通过“Z”字改型转移以再造耳垂。在残耳上部作蒂在轮屏切迹的残耳上部皮瓣，弧形切开松解并加深上部颅耳沟，将上部残耳皮瓣向颅耳沟创面旋转推进缝合以覆盖创面；将带皮下组织蒂的残耳软骨组织瓣插入支架底部形成的腔隙内，并缝合固定，以增加支架的高度；耳甲腔区其余残耳皮瓣用以覆盖耳甲腔创面。结果术后拆线时 1 例患儿皮瓣远端出现直径约 0.5 cm 的表皮水疱，经换药 2 周后愈合；其余患者皮瓣成活良好。患者均获随访，随访时间 6～12 个月，平均 9.6 个月。再造耳上部颅耳沟均明显加深，再造耳支架高度不同程度增加，双耳对称性佳，耳甲腔无明显挛缩变小，再造耳外观满意。再造耳上部表面毛发明显减少，耳周发际线上移。结论采用耳甲腔型小耳畸形的残耳皮瓣及残耳软骨瓣转移，不仅可加深颅耳沟，而且可增加上部支架的高度，术后颅耳沟变形较轻，再造耳与正常耳廓的对称性更佳。     

Preoperative intra-arterial chemotherapy with docetaxel,cisplatin, and peplomycin combined with intravenous chemotherapy using 5-fluorouracil for oral squamous cell carcinoma

The objectives of this study were to evaluate survival in 141 patients with stage II–IV oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) treated with preoperative intra-arterial chemotherapy with docetaxel, cisplatin, and peplomycin combined with intravenous chemotherapy using 5-fluorouracil (IADCPIVF) via the superficial temporal artery, and to clarify the prognostic factors. The study population included 59 patients with stage II OSCC, 34 with stage III, and 48 with stage IV. After IADCPIVF, 139 patients underwent surgery; minimally invasive surgeries (MIS) including excisional biopsy were performed on 96 patients with a remarkably good response to IADCPIVF. The primary tumour response rate was 99.3% (complete response rate 56.7%, good partial response rate 17.0%, fair partial response rate 25.5%). Additionally, there were no serious adverse events associated with IADCPIVF. The 5-year overall survival rate was 74.6% (stage II 83.6%, stage III 72.7%, stage IV 64.8%). In the multivariate analysis of survival, T classification and clinical tumour response were significant prognostic factors. Eight (8.3%) of the patients who received MIS had primary recurrence and six were salvaged. In conclusion, IADCPIVF is safe and efficacious for treating OSCC, and MIS could reduce the extent of primary tumour resection in the case of a remarkably good response.     

A Very Long-term Longitudinal Study on the Evolution and Clinical Outcomes of Persistent Iatrogenic Atrial Septal Defect After Cryoballoon Ablation

Background

Persistent iatrogenic atrial septal defect (iASD) is a common but poorly characterized complication after cryoballoon (CB) pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) procedures. We therefore investigate its prevalence, evolution, risk factors, and clinical outcomes in a prospective longitudinal study.

Redox active or thiol reactive? Optimization of rapid screens to identify less evident nuisance compounds

Compounds that exhibit assay interference or undesirable mechanisms of bioactivity are routinely encountered in assays at various stages of drug discovery. We observed that assays for the investigation of thiol-reactive and redox-active compounds have not been collected in a comprehensive review. Here, we review these assays and subject them to experimental optimization to improve their reliability. We demonstrate the usefulness of our assay cascade by assaying a library of bioactive compounds, chemical probes, and a set of approved drugs. These high-throughput assays should complement the array of wet-lab and in silico assays during the initial stages of hit discovery campaigns to pursue only hit compounds with tractable mechanisms of action.     

Successful Treatment for BK Virus Nephropathy by Leflunomide in a Kidney Transplant Patient: A Case Report

IntroductionThe immunosuppressant agents in kidney transplantation (KT) may lead to various complications such as opportunistic infections and malignancies. BK virus associated nephropathy is a significant complication following KT, and it can result in graft failure. BK virus causes tubulointerstitial nephritis, ureter stenosis, and even graft failure in KT recipients with impaired immune system. We described a 63-year-old woman, who was a hepatitis C carrier and on dialysis for 22 years before KT, who received cadaveric-donor KT 2 years previously. She reported decreasing urine output and general weakness. The serum creatinine level was slightly increased from 2.94 to 4.38 mg/dL.MethodsImmunosuppressant medications including prednisolone, everolimus, cyclosporin, and mycophenolate sodium were continued as maintenance therapy post KT. Kidney biopsy was performed due to deterioration of graft function.ResultsThe kidney biopsy showed consistent results with early-stage polyomavirus nephropathy, characterized by focal viral cytopathic changes with positive immunohistochemical signals and mesangial proliferative glomerulonephritis, immune-complex-mediated (Fig 1 and Fig 2). Negative C4d staining at peritubular capillary was reported. The dosage of mycophenolate sodium was tapered from 720 to 360 mg daily and that of everolimus increased from 0.5 to 1.0 mg daily due to BK viral infection with BK nephropathy. The serum creatinine level was 2.75 mg/dL after treatment.ConclusionEarly detection of BK nephropathy and decreasing immunosuppressant agents are the mainstay of treatment. Substituting leflunomide for mycophenolate sodium and increasing dosage of everolimus has been proposed to solve BK nephropathy. We presented that the use of leflunomide in such situation is in a timely manner.     

Potentilla anserine L. polysaccharide protects against cadmium-induced neurotoxicity

Cadmium is a toxic metal that can damage the brain and other organs. This study aimed to explore the protective effects of Potentilla anserine L. polysaccharide (PAP) against CdCl₂-induced neurotoxicity in N2a and SH-SY5Y cells and in the cerebral cortex of BALB/c mice. In addition, we aimed to identify the potential mechanisms underlying these protective effects. Relative to CdCl₂ treatment alone, pretreatment with PAP prevented the reduction in cell viability evoked by CdCl₂, decreased rates of apoptosis, promoted calcium homeostasis, decreased ROS accumulation, increased mitochondrial membrane potential, inhibited cytochrome C and AIF release, and prevented the cleavage of caspase-3 and PARP. In addition, PAP significantly decreased the CdCl₂-induced phosphorylation of CaMKII, Akt, and mTOR. In conclusion, PAP represents a potential therapeutic agent for the treatment of Cd-induced neurotoxicity, functioning in part via attenuating the activation of the mitochondrial apoptosis pathway and the Ca²⁺-CaMKII-dependent Akt/mTOR pathway.     

Improving Prenatal Diagnosis of Coarctation of the Aorta

Background

The purpose of the study was to evaluate the association between fetal echocardiographic measurements and the need for intervention (primary coarctation repair, staged coarctation repair, or catheter intervention) in prenatally diagnosed coarctation of the aorta.