Chinese PLA General Hospital

About: Chinese PLA General Hospital is a healthcare organization based out in Beijing, China. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Medicine & Population. The organization has 18037 authors who have published 12349 publications receiving 184803 citations. The organization is also known as: 301 Military Hospital.

Epithelial-mesenchymal transition: An emerging target in tissue fibrosis

Abstract: Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is involved in a variety of tissue fibroses. Fibroblasts/myofibroblasts derived from epithelial cells contribute to the excessive accumulation of fibrous connective tissue in damaged tissue, which can lead to permanent scarring or organ malfunction. Therefore, EMT-related fibrosis cannot be neglected. This review highlights the findings that demonstrate the EMT to be a direct contributor to the fibroblast/myofibroblast population in the development of tissue fibrosis and helps to elucidate EMT-related anti-fibrotic strategies, which may enable the development of therapeutic interventions to suppress EMT and potentially reverse organ fibrosis.

The Learning Curve for a Surgeon in Robot-Assisted Laparoscopic Pancreaticoduodenectomy: A Retrospective Study in a High-Volume Pancreatic Center

Abstract: Pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD) is one of the most technically difficult abdominal operations. Recent advances have allowed surgeons to attempt PD using minimally invasive surgery techniques. This retrospective study aimed to analyze the learning curve of a single surgeon who had carried out his first 100 robot-assisted laparoscopic pancreaticoduodenectomy (RPD) in a high-volume pancreatic center. The data on consecutive patients who underwent RPD for malignant or benign pathologies were prospectively collected and retrospectively analyzed. The data included the demographic data, operative time, estimated blood loss, postoperative length of hospital stay, morbidity rate, mortality rate, and final pathological results. The cumulative sum (CUSUM) analysis was used to identify the inflexion points which corresponded to the learning curve. Between 2012 and 2016, 100 patients underwent RPD by a single surgeon. From the CUSUM operation time (CUSUM OT) learning curve, two distinct phases of the learning process were identified (early 40 patients and late 60 patients). The operation time (mean, 418 min vs. 317 min), hospital stay (mean, 22 days vs. 15 days), and estimated blood loss (mean, 227 ml vs. 134 ml) were significantly lower after the first 40 patients (P < 0.05). The pancreatic fistula, postoperative hemorrhage, delayed gastric emptying, and reoperation rates also decreased in the late 60 patients group (P < 0.05). Non-significant reductions were observed in the incidences of major (Clavien–Dindo Grade II or higher) morbidity, postoperative death, bile leakage, gastric fistula, wound infection, and open conversion. RPD was technically feasible and safe in selected patients. The learning curve was completed after 40 RPD. Further studies are required to confirm the long-term oncological outcomes of RPD.

Sensitive and specific detection of clinical bacteria via vancomycin-modified Fe3O4@Au nanoparticles and aptamer-functionalized SERS tags.

Abstract: A sensitive surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) platform for the simultaneous detection of two pathogenic bacteria on the basis of dual recognition by vancomycin and aptamers is reported for the first time, using Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) as target bacteria. This dual-recognition platform was developed using vancomycin-modified Fe3O4@Au magnetic nanoparticles (Fe3O4@Au-Van MNPs) for broad-spectrum recognition and efficient bacterial enrichment, and aptamer-functionalized SERS tags for the specific and sensitive quantification of target bacteria in authentic specimens. Our results showed that the Fe3O4@Au-Van MNPs allow the rapid capture of bacteria from complex solutions with a capture efficiency as high as 88.89% for S. aureus and 74.96% for E. coli within 15 min. The limits of detection (LODs) of the platform were found to be 20 and 50 cells mL−1 for S. aureus and E. coli, respectively, and favorable linear relations were observed between the logarithm of bacterial concentration and the SERS intensity at the characteristic Raman peaks. The high specificity and potential clinical applications of the technique were also proven. Our method elucidated novel advances and potential applications in the field of multiple SERS detection of pathogens.

Serological AFP/Golgi protein 73 could be a new diagnostic parameter of hepatic diseases

Abstract: We have investigated the changing rule of serum form of GP73 (sGP73) in different hepato-pathologic processes and identified the sGP73 role in inflammation, fibrosis and carcinogenesis since sGP73 has been regarded as a candidate tumor marker. Quantitative enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay detected sGP73 in 535 subjects with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), liver cirrhosis (LC), hepatitis, focal nodular hyperplasia (FNH), angioma, intra-hepatic cholangio-carcinoma (ICC) and metastatic cancer from adenocarcinomas (MC). Median sGP73 in LC was higher than in HCC and hepatitis (p = 0.001), and sGP73 in all three groups were higher than those in healthy individuals (p < 0.001); sGP73 in LC patients with Child-Pugh class A was lower than in class B and C (p = 0.001), no significant difference was found between early and advanced HCC groups (110.4 μg/L vs. 102.8 μg/L). AFP/GP73 had a sensitivity of 75.8% and specificity of 79.7% with an area under the receiver operating curve (AUROC) of 0.844 vs. 0.812 for AFP (p = 0.055) with a sensitivity of 95.2% and specificity of 47.1%; in detecting early HCC, AUROC of AFP/GP73 was 0. 804 vs. 0.766 for AFP (p = 0.086). sGP73 correlated with AST, AST/ALT, ALB, A/G and ALP in LC. The positive rate of sGP73 in angioma, FNH, ICC, and MC was 0, 50, 63.3, 53.3%, respectively; AFP/GP73 was 0.796 with the sensitivity of 81.4% and specificity of 70.0% when differentiating MC from AFP-negative HCC. Increased sGP73 is related to hepatic impairment and chronic fibrosis, and when combined with AFP could improve the differential diagnosis of hepatic diseases.