Objective To develop a model for preoperative prediction of intratumoral tertiary lymphoid structures (TLSs) status in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients based on intratumoral and multi-region peritumoral radiomics features extracted from multi-phase computed tomography (CT) images. Methods A total of 697 patients who underwent hepatectomy were retrospectively enrolled from three hospitals and allocated into training, validation, and test cohorts. Postoperative pathology confirmed HCC and assessed TLSs status. Radiomics features were extracted from intratumoral and various peritumoral regions on multi-phase CT scans. Five machine learning methods were used for model comparison to identify the optimal model. Additionally, fusion models were developed utilizing both feature fusion and image fusion strategies. Finally, a combined model was established by integrating the optimal radiomics signature from each phase and the most predictive clinical parameters. Results Among each single-phase CT analyses, the image fusion models (ImageFusion10) demonstrated the best predictive performance. Subsequently, the combined model achieved the highest AUC of 0.830 (95% confidence intervals [CI]: 0.759-0.901) in the validation cohort, and 0.831 (95% CI: 0.771-0.892) in the test cohort. Furthermore, the combined model stratified participants into predicted TLSs-positive and TLSs-negative groups. The Kaplan-Meier analysis indicated that the predicted TLSs-positive group had longer progression-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) in all cohorts. Conclusion The combined model was developed to predict TLSs status in HCC patients and may help identify those who could benefit from personalized immunotherapy, providing valuable insights for clinical treatment and decision-making.
No fully validated risk-stratification strategies have been established in China where colonoscopies resources are limited. We aimed to develop and validate a fecal immunochemical test (FIT)-based risk-stratification model for colorectal neoplasia (CN); 10,164 individuals were recruited from 175 centers nationwide and were randomly allocated to the derivation (n = 6776) or validation cohort (n = 3388). Multivariate logistic analyses were performed to develop the National Colorectal Polyp Care (NCPC) score, which formed the risk-stratification model along with FIT. The NCPC score was developed from eight independent predicting factors and divided into three levels: low risk (LR 0-14), intermediate risk (IR 15-17), and high risk (HR 18-28). Individuals with IR or HR of NCPC score or FIT+ were classified as increased-risk individuals in the risk-stratification model and were recommended for colonoscopy. The IR/HR of NCPC score showed a higher prevalence of CNs (21.8%/32.8% vs. 11.0%, P < 0.001) and ACNs (4.3%/9.2% vs. 2.0%, P < 0.001) than LR, which was also confirmed in the validation cohort. Similar relative risks and predictive performances were demonstrated between non-specific gastrointestinal symptoms (NSGS) and asymptomatic cohort. The risk-stratification model identified 73.5% CN, 82.6% ACN, and 93.6% CRC when guiding 52.7% individuals to receive colonoscopy and identified 55.8% early-onset ACNs and 72.7% early-onset CRCs with only 25.6% young individuals receiving colonoscopy. The risk-stratification model showed a good risk-stratification ability for CN and early-onset CRCs in Chinese population, including individuals with NSGS and young age.
Objective:To investigate the current application of colonoscopy at hospitals in China.Methods:From November 2019 to January 2020, an online questionnaire survey was conducted among gastroenterologists and colonoscopists in hospitals of different levels. The contents of questionnaire survey included basic information of colonoscopy at the respondent′s hospital, protocols and patient education of bowel preparation, implementation of colonoscopy quality control, and colonoscopists′ understanding of polypectomy techniques and post-polypectomy follow-up.Results:A total of 236 valid questionnaires were collected, involving 187 hospitals, and 143 (76.5%) had an annual operation capacity of more than 5 000 cases. In terms of bowel preparation, split-dosed polyethylene glycol electrolyte powder (PEG) was the most commonly used (60.4%, 113/187) and the most common volume of PEG was 3 L (67.4%, 126/187). Verbal (90.9%, 170/187) and written (79.7%, 149/187) instructions were given more often than other methods for patient education of bowel preparation. Antifoaming agent was routinely used in 124 (66.3%) hospitals. In terms of quality control, only 11.5% (20/174) hospitals implemented all four measures. In terms of polypectomy techniques, 98.1% (203/207) colonoscopists chose hot snare polypectomy or endoscopic mucosal resection for lesions of diameter>1 cm, while options varied for lesions of diameter<1 cm. The interval of follow-up after polypectomy recommended by colonoscopists was shorter than that by guidelines.Conclusion:Several problems are found in the survey in the application of colonoscopy in China, i. e., patient education of bowel preparation is not diversified; quality control of colonoscopy still needs to be strengthened; polypectomy techniques and follow-up after polypectomy need to be further standardized.
结肠镜作为早期诊断及介入治疗的主要手段,在结直肠癌的筛查和预防中起着关键作用。有效和全面的结肠镜培训是实现高质量结肠镜检查、降低结直肠癌发病率的重要因素。结肠镜医师的培训已不再局限于学徒模式,内镜仿真模拟器以及内镜技能评估工具的应用有效提高了培训质量。内镜带教医师再培训以及内镜教学培训新模式的建立同样为培养合格的内镜医师起到了有效的推动与促进作用。本文总结了目前国内外结肠镜教学培训模式及方法的研究现状与进展。
对于临床医师是否需要进行科研工作一直存在较大争议,很多临床医师认为其本职工作是治病救人,而科研工作与临床实践似乎没有关系。这是因为他们将科学研究理解为纯粹的基础研究,忽略了临床工作中存在的大量没有明确答案的临床问题。善于发现值得探究的临床问题,并致力于通过设计临床研究来解决这些问题,这个过程就是临床科研。
To investigate the efficacy and safety of flurbiprofen axetil in postoperative analgesia in upper abdominal surgery. This was a multicenter, randomized, positive drug parallel controlled double-blind clinical study. Patients undergoing upper abdominal surgery were randomly divided to receive flurbiprofen axetil or tramadol. The VAS pain scores at rest and on coughing (pulmonary function training) were assessed immediately before drug usage (T1) to evaluate the efficacy of postoperative analgesia. Repeat assessment of the VAS was performed after T1. The timing of the recovery of the gastrointestinal function and the preoperative and postoperative IL-6, cortisol, and blood glucose levels were recorded as secondary endpoints. Vital signs and the occurrence of adverse reactions were evaluated for the assessment of safety. A total of 240 patients were enrolled in the current study; 119 used flurbiprofen axetil for postoperative analgesia. The VAS scores at rest and on coughing did not differ between the two groups to a statistically significant extent (P > 0.05). However, the reduction of the VAS score at rest in the flurbiprofen axetil group was greater than that in the tramadol group at 4–24 h after T1. The reduction of the VAS score on coughing at 8 h after T1 was greater in the flurbiprofen axetil group. The incidence of adverse reactions was significantly lower in the flurbiprofen axetil group, with only one adverse reaction recorded. In contrast, 18 adverse reactions were reported in the tramadol group. Flurbiprofen axetil showed superior efficacy to tramadol in early postoperative analgesia after upper abdominal surgery. Flurbiprofen axetil was associated with a significantly lower incidence of adverse reactions in comparison to tramadol.
Objective:To establish an artificial intelligence (AI)-assisted colorectal polyps classification system (AI polyps system) by using clinical big data, and to conduct the clinical verification.Methods:From June 2018 to June 2019, the colonoscopy images of polyps from 16 participating research centers were prospectively collected. The basic information of the polyps (location, size, shape and pathological biopsy results) in colonoscopy images of colorectal polyps were marked by senior colonoscopist, and the outline of the polyp was circled for the development of the AI polyps system. Taking pathological biopsy results of polyps as the gold standard, the sensitivity, specificity, and positivity predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV) and accuracy of white light model, narrow band imaging (NBI) model, the combination of white light and NBI model and colonoscopists′ identification of polyps were calculated respectively. Paired McNemar test and Kappa test were used for statistical analysis. Results:A total of 15 441 qualified colonoscopy images were collected, including 9 109 images in white light model and 6 332 images in NBI model. At laboratory level, the sensitivity, specificity, PPV, NPV and accuracy of white light model and NBI model in the identification of the polyps were 90.3%, 98.3%, 89.8%, 98.4%, 97.2%, and 90.5%, 92.5%, 92.3%, 90.6%, 91.5%, respectively. In clinical verification phase, a total of 78 polyps of 56 patients with colorectal polyps were enrolled. The sensitivity, specificity, PPV, NPV and accuracy of the white light model and NBI model in the identification of polyps were 70.3%, 82.1%, 78.8%, 74.4%, 76.3%, and 78.4%, 87.2%, 85.3%, 81.0%, 82.9%, respectively. There were no statistically significant differences between the diagnostic results of colonoscopists, the white light model, the NBI model and the results of pathological results (all McNemar test, all P>0.05), but the consistency were general and the Kappa values were 0.632, 0.525 and 0.657, respectively (all P<0.01). The Kappa value of combination of the white light and NBI model and the pathological results was 0.575, however the consistency was general, but the difterence was statistically significant (McNemar test, P=0.004). Conclusions:The established AI polyps system has a certain role in assisting diagnosis, but the accuracy still needs to be improved.
Abstract BackgroundThe involvement of gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms in the progression of illness in COVID-19 patients has not been illustrated, with the association between GI symptoms and illness severity remaining controversial. The present study aimed to evaluate the association between GI symptoms and the illness progression, severity, and prognosis in COVID-19 patients.MethodsThis study retrospectively recruited consecutive patients with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 from three hospitals in Wuhan. The severity of illness was classified as non-severe and severe for analyses. The primary outcome was the association between GI symptoms and progression from non-severe to severe illness (PNTS) in COVID-19 patients. ResultsOf the 934 COVID-19 patients (mean age 59.3 years; 43.7% males), the prevalence of overall and specific GI symptoms at/prior to admission were 59.9% and 13.0%, respectively. Patients with GI symptoms were associated with increased risk of fever (56.1% vs. 48.1%; P=0.02), increased IL-6 (18.2% vs. 11.7%; P=0.04), ground-glass opacity (56.8% vs. 43.1%; P<0.001), bilateral pneumonia (80.4% vs. 72.3%; P=0.005), secondary infections (12.6% vs. 6.5%;, P=0.003), and hypoalbuminemia (26.2% vs. 18.4%; P=0.01). Patients with GI symptoms had a higher risk for PNTS (2.9% vs. 0.6%; P=0.02), even after full adjustments (OR, 6.50; (95%CI:1.34-31.6); P=0.02), but comparable risk for severe illness or deaths. GI symptoms and the specific GI symptoms were identified as the independent risk factors for PNTS.Conclusions The occurrence of GI symptoms is proved to be an independent risk factor for PNTS, which might be a predicting indicator in the prevention of illness deterioration at an early stage.
结直肠癌(colorectal cancer,CRC)是起源于结直肠黏膜上皮的恶性肿瘤,是临床最为常见的恶性肿瘤之一.CRC的转归及预后与病变的分期紧密相关.进行CRC筛查是降低CRC发病率和死亡率的重要方法.近年来在世界范围内就如何提高CRC筛查率进行了广泛研究.本文就提高CRC筛查率相关方法的研究进展作一概述.
Rationale, aims, and objectives Acute postoperative pain can result in immune dysfunction, which can be partly mitigated by efficient pain management. Opioids that have been widely applied to analgesia have been shown to suppress immune function, which has a negative impact on the treatment of patients with cancer. This study investigated the effects of perioperative fentanyl analgesia alone or in combination with parecoxib sodium on postoperative pain, immune function, and prognosis in patients undergoing hepatectomy of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Methods A total of 80 patients scheduled for hepatectomy between October 2013 and August 2014 were included. Patients were randomly divided into two groups (n = 40) and allocated to receive parecoxibsodium 40 mg (group P) or placebo (group C) 30 minutes before induction of anaesthesia, followed by 40 mg every 12 hours for 48 hours after the operation. All patients had access to patient-controlled analgesia with intravenous fentanylpostoperatively. Venous blood samples were collected at the following time points: 30 minutes before induction of anaesthesia (T0), the end of the surgery (T1), 24 hours after surgery (T2), and 72 hours after surgery (T3). The percentages of CD3+, CD4+, CD8+, CD4+/CD8+ T cells, and CD3+CD16+CD56+ (NK) cells at these time points were quantified by flow cytometry (FCM).Visual analogue scale (VAS) scores, total fentanyl consumption, and adverse effects were recorded. The prognostic differences in overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) between the two groups was also investigated. Results For both groups, the percentages of CD3+, CD4+ T cells, and the ratio of CD4+/CD8+ significantly decreased at T1 and T2 (P < .05). The percentages of CD3+ T cells were significantly lower in group C than that in group P at T2 (P < .05). In group C, the amount of CD3+ T cells was lower at T3 compared with T0 (P < .05). The percentages of NK cells significantly decreased at T1 in both groups (P < .05). The percentages of NK in group P were recovered nearly to baseline (T0) at T2, which was higher than that of group C (P < .05). In group C, the percentages of NK cells have not recovered nearly to baseline at T3 compared with T0 (P < .05). VAS scores at rest and on cough in group P were significantly lower than those in group C at 2, 6, 12, and 24 hours after operation (P < .05), and there were no significant differences in VAS scores between the two groups at 48 hours after surgery (P > .05). There were no significant differences regarding the incidence of adverse effects between the two groups (P > .05). Kaplan-Meier analysis indicated that the DFS time in group P was significantly longer than in group C (19.0 months, 95% confidence interval [CI], 9.8-28.2 vs 14.0 months, 95% CI, 8.1-19.9; P < .05). There was no significant difference in OS time (36.0 months, 95% CI, 13.4-58.9 vs 14.0 months, 95% CI, 10.6-25.4; P > .05) between two groups. Conclusions The present study indicated that perioperative analgesia of parecoxib sodium combined with patient-controlled analgesic fentanyl resulted in better preserved immune function with enhancement of the analgesic efficacy to fentanyl alone of HCC patients undergoing hepatectomy and helped postpone postoperative tumour recurrence.
Objective To evaluate the clinical value of a commercial low-residue diet (LRD) for bowel preparation of colonoscopy. Methods This study was a prospective, endoscopist-blind, and randomized controlled trial. Participants were randomly assigned to two groups according to administration of LRD:the experimental group and the control group. Bowel preparation quality, compliance and tolerability of the two groups were compared. Results A total of 61 patients were enrolled, with 32 in the experimental group and 29 in the control group. The outcomes were as follows:Boston Bowel Preparation Scale ( BBPS) (7. 8±1. 0 VS 7. 1±1. 3, P=0. 037), the rate of bowel preparation adequacy (87. 5% VS 79. 3%, P=0. 388), compliance rate of dietary restriction (78. 1% VS 55. 2%, P=0. 057), preparation completion rate (93. 8% VS 93. 1%, P=0. 919), cecal intubation rate (both were 100. 0%) and cecum arrival time (9. 1± 2. 9 min VS 9. 8±3. 7 min, P=0. 417), incidence of adverse (3. 1% VS 3. 4%, P=0. 944), and hunger rate before colonoscopy (34.4% VS 48.3%, P=0.102). Conclusion The LRD for bowel preparation of colonoscopy significantly improves BBPS, but its effect on improving the bowel preparation adequacy, patient compliance and tolerability needs to be confirmed by further larger-scale trials.