[en] Fibrosis is a common side effect after treatment with ionizing radiation. Several methods to ameliorate debilitating fibrosis have been employed but without consistent results. The goal of this pilot study is to determine if Pirfenidone, a novel regulator of cytokine gene expression, has the potential to ameliorate established radiation-induced fibrosis. Open label, prospective pilot study of 800 mg three times/day, orally administered Pirfenidone was administered to enrolled patients who were had completed radiation therapy and who had established radiation-induced fibrosis. Range of motion (ROM) was assessed using standard measures, and subjective measures of pain, fatigue, disability and global health were measured every three months. Seven patients were enrolled of whom 3 had ROM assessments of 1 site and 2 had ROM assessments of 2 sites. Of these assessments, 6 revealed increased ROM during drug intervention while 1 revealed a decreased ROM. There was an overall improvement in the mental composite score of the SF36 while physical composite score was decreased and the vitality score was unchanged. Two patients were removed from the study because of syncopal episodes. Several patients experienced improved function of at least 25% and reported subjective improvement. Pirfenidone may benefit patients with radiation-induced fibrosis and is worthy of a larger well controlled trial

[en] This article has been retracted: please see Elsevier Policy on Article Withdrawal (https://www.elsevier.com/about/our-business/policies/article-withdrawal). This article has been retracted at the request of the author and the author's University, Shanghai Tongji University School of Medicine. The author conducted all the experiments and prepared the data shown in the article by herself without informing her supervisor, and subsequently, an investigative committee at the University of Tongji University School of Medicine found the article to lack original data for some figures and not to abide by local or international ethical standards for using human samples shown in Figure 1A. The author of this article would like to apologize to all affected parties

No abstract available

[en] Highlights: • Three simple Doppler-US signs are associated with severe liver fibrosis. • Combined together, these simple signs are sensitive, but they lack specificity. • Doppler-US devices now include elastography modules allowing liver stiffness measurement. • Using elastography when the simple Doppler-US signs are present improves the diagnostic accuracy. • This approach represents an attractive procedure for the diagnostic of advanced liver diseases. - Abstract: ObjectivesAdvanced chronic liver disease is frequent yet largely underdiagnosed. Doppler-US is a common examination and we recently identified three simple Doppler-US signs associated with severe liver fibrosis. Recent Doppler-US devices include elastography modules, allowing for liver stiffness measurement (LSM). Our aim was to assess whether the use of elastography following positive simple Doppler-US signs improves the detection of severe liver fibrosis in a single Doppler-US examination.

[en] This report describes a technique of inserting an implantable venous access port (portacath) through a thrombosed and occluded vein employing a pre-existing peripherally inserted central catheter (PICC) as the route of access. The PICC was used as a conduit for venous access in a way that has not been described previously in the literature. This procedure was performed in a young patient with cystic fibrosis in an effort to prevent the use of his virgin contralateral veins, which might be used in the future.

[en] The role of ductular reaction (DR) in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains to be elucidated. In this study, we tried to uncover possible effect by correlating peritumoral DR in a necroinflammatory microenvironment with postoperative prognosis in HCC. The expression of peritumoral DR/CK19 by immunohistochemistry, necroinflammation and fibrosis were assessed from 106 patients receiving curative resection for HCC. Prognostic values for these and other clinicopathologic factors were evaluated. Peritumoral DR significantly correlated with necroinflammation (r = 0.563, p = 3.4E-10), fibrosis (r = 0.435, p = 3.1E-06), AFP level (p = 0.010), HBsAg (p = 4.9E-4), BCLC stage (p = 0.003), TNM stage (p = 0.002), multiple nodules (p = 0.004), absence of tumor capsule (p = 0.027), severe microscopic vascular invasion (p = 0.031) and early recurrence (p = 0.010). Increased DR was significantly associated with decreased RFS/OS (p = 4.8E-04 and p = 2.6E-05, respectively) in univariate analysis and were identified as an independent prognostic factor (HR = 2.380, 95% CI = 1.250-4.534, p = 0.008 for RFS; HR = 4.294, 95% CI = 2.255-8.177, p = 9.3E-6 for OS) in multivariate analysis. These results suggested that peritumoral DR in a necroinflammatory microenvironment was a poor prognostic factor for HCC after resection

[en] Highlights: • Roles of exosomes on regulation of essential hypertension remain to be determined. • Plasma exosomes modulated systemic blood pressure in normotensive and hypertensive rats. • Plasma exosomes modestly changed structure and function of cardiovascular tissues. • Present findings indicate exosomes are potential target for treatment of essential hypertension. Exosomes, the smallest extracellular vesicle, contain various molecules and mediate cell-cell communication. A number of studies demonstrate exosomes are involved in important physiological and pathological processes. Moreover, microRNA (miRNA) regulating hypertension development through the suppression of certain translation was recently reported. However, roles of exosomes containing various molecules including miRNA on development of essential hypertension have not been examined. We tested the hypothesis that plasma exosomes regulate systemic blood pressure in normotensive and spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR). Normotensive Wistar Kyoto rats (WKY) and SHR (5-10-week-old) were intraperitoneally administrated with exosomes derived from plasma in WKY or SHR weekly for 6 weeks. Exosomes were isolated by an ultracentrifuge method. SHR-derived exosomes significantly increased systolic blood pressure in WKY, while WKY-derived exosomes decreased it in SHR. In WKY, SHR-derived exosomes induced modest structural changes of thoracic aorta, such as wall thickening and decreased abundance of collagen, which were similar to the changes observed in SHR. On the contrary, WKY-derived exosomes tended to reverse the changes in SHR. WKY-derived exosomes significantly suppressed the increased prostaglandin F_2α-induced contraction of mesenteric arterial smooth muscle in SHR. In addition, wet weight and perivascular fibrosis of left ventricles in WKY were significantly increased by SHR-derived exosomes, while the fibrosis but not ventricular weight was significantly decreased by WKY-derived exosomes in SHR. We for the first time demonstrated that plasma exosomes can modulate systemic blood pressure as well as structure and function of cardiovascular tissues in both normotensive and hypertensive rats.

No abstract available

[en] Neurofibromatosis, or von Recklinghausen's disease, is a hereditary, harmartomatous disorder that primarily involves neuro ectoderm and mesoderm. The estimated incidence is 1 in 2,500 to 3,000 births. The clinical features are skin manifestations such as cafe-au-lait spots, skeletal manifestations primarily involving vertebrae, central and peripheral nervous manifestations, and other associated abnormalities with increased risk of malignancy. The authors analysed the radiologic findings of 18 cases of patients with neurofibromatosis who visited Pusan Kosin Medical Center and Taegu Dongsan Medical Center during the last five years. All were proven by surgery, biopsy and other diagnostic criteria. The results obtained were as follows: 1. The male to female ratio was 11:7 and the age ranged from 11 months to 51 years. 2. All the cases fulfilled the diagnostic criteria of Crowe and associates. 3. Bone manifestations were present in 44% of the cases. The other radiologic findings were intrathoracic meningocele, bilateral acoustic neurinomas, mediastinal or chest wall mass shadows, and peripheral soft tissue masses. 4. One of the soft tissue masses was proved to be malignant.

[en] The author has observed a case of ossifying fibroma occurred in the left mandibular body area of 19 year old woman. In the serial roentgenograms, the author has drawn following conclusions: 1. The lesion is circumscribed and demarcated from the surrounding bone tissues. 2. The cortical bone of the involved area was expanded and thinned markedly on the site. 3. The radiopacity was increased with more or less mottled appearance on the site.