Categories
Nevin Manimala Statistics

A meta-analysis of unilateral axillary approach for robotic surgery compared with open surgery for differentiated thyroid carcinoma

PLoS One. 2024 Apr 11;19(4):e0298153. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0298153. eCollection 2024.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: The Da Vinci Robot is the most advanced micro-control system in endoscopic surgical instruments and has gained a lot of valuable experience today. However, the technical feasibility and oncological safety of the robot over open surgery are still uncertain. This work is to systematically evaluate the efficacy of the unilateral axillary approach for robotic surgery compared to open surgery for differentiated thyroid carcinoma.

METHODS: PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science databases were utilized to search for relevant literatures of robotic thyroid surgery using unilateral axillary approach compared to open thyroid surgery, and a meta-analysis was performed using RevMan software version 5.3. Statistical analysis was performed through Mantle-Haenszel and inverse variance methods.

RESULTS: Twelve studies with a total of 2660 patients were included in the meta-analysis. The results showed that compared with the open group, the robotic group had a longer total thyroidectomy time, shorter hospital stay, less intraoperative bleeding, more postoperative drainage, fewer retrieved central lymph nodes, and higher cosmetic satisfaction (all P < 0.05). In contrast, temporary and permanent laryngeal recurrent nerve injury, temporary and permanent hypoparathyroidism or hypocalcemia, brachial plexus nerve injury, number of retrieved central lymph nodes, number of retrieved lymph nodes in the lateral cervical region, number of lymph node metastases in the lateral cervical region, hematoma, seroma, lymphatic leak, stimulated thyroglobulin (sTg) and unstimulated thyroglobulin (uTg), and the number and recurrence rate of patients with sTg <1ng/ml were not statistically different between the two groups (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS: The unilateral axillary approach for robotic thyroid surgery may achieve outcomes similar to those of open surgery. Further validation is required in a prospective randomized controlled trial.

PMID:38603661 | DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0298153

Categories
Nevin Manimala Statistics

Distribution and Positive Predictive Value of Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH) Levels Among Non-azoospermic Men

J Urol. 2024 Apr 11:101097JU0000000000003957. doi: 10.1097/JU.0000000000003957. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: To characterize the distribution of follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) in fertile and subfertile non-azoospermic men, and to determine the ability of various FSH thresholds to predict fertility status.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: We performed a retrospective cohort study of 1389 non-azoospermic men who presented for fertility evaluation. Men with at least 2 semen analyses (SA) and one FSH level were included. Men were dichotomized into fertile and subfertile groups based on total motile sperm count (TMSC). FSH was evaluated within a multivariable model, and positive predictive values (PPVs) for subfertility were used to assess the clinical utility of various FSH thresholds.

RESULTS: One thousand fifteen (80%) men were classified as fertile and 274 (20%) as subfertile. Age, presence of varicocele, and testosterone levels were not statistically different between the groups. Median FSH was 4.0 vs 6.0 (P < .001) among fertile vs subfertile men. Multiple FSH thresholds ranging from 2.9 to 9.3 performed similarly in predicting fertility status (PPV 0.49-0.59). Only FSH thresholds above the 95th percentile (12.1) had PPVs greater than 0.7. The highest PPV (0.84) was seen at an FSH of 20.8 (99th percentile).

CONCLUSIONS: While there were significant differences in FSH levels among fertile and subfertile non-azoospermic men, multiple FSH cutoffs between 2.2 and 9.3 performed poorly for prediction of fertility status as determined by TMSC. It was not until the 95th percentile FSH value that a clinically useful level of predictability for subfertility was reached, indicating that FSH should not be used as a standalone test of fertility status. Nonetheless, FSH testing remains clinically useful and may be most informative in the setting of extreme values or discordant FSH and SA results.

PMID:38603647 | DOI:10.1097/JU.0000000000003957

Categories
Nevin Manimala Statistics

Should a Refluxing Internal Diversion Be Considered a Temporizing Procedure? Extended Follow-Up and Outcomes After Side-to-side Ureterovesicostomy for Primary Obstructive Megaureter in Young Children

J Urol. 2024 Apr 11:101097JU0000000000003966. doi: 10.1097/JU.0000000000003966. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: To describe long-term outcomes, including urinary tract infections (UTIs) and need for reimplantation, after ureterovesicostomy (UV) as a lasting surgical procedure for children with primary obstructed megaureter (POM).

METHODS: Children referred to our institution between 2016 and 2023 who underwent refluxing UV were analyzed. POM was defined as hydroureteronephrosis with distal ureteral dilatation > 7 mm and a negative workup for other aetiologies of hydronephrosis. We assessed for surgical outcomes, complications, rate of UTI, and improvement in upper tract dilatation. Statistical analyses assessed for change in hydronephrosis metrics over follow-up.

RESULTS: Among 183 patients diagnosed with POM, 47 (24%) underwent UV. Median age of presentation, surgery, and follow-up was 2, 9, and 43 months, respectively. A total of 7 patients developed 30-day complications: Clavien-Dindo grade 1: 2 (transient urinary retention), and grade 2: 5 (UTIs). During monitoring 14 (30%) developed UTIs and 7 (15%) required ureteral reimplant or UV takedown. After surgery there was a significant decrease in the proportion of patients with high-grade hydronephrosis, anteroposterior renal pelvis diameter and maximum ureteral dilatation.

CONCLUSION: Refluxing UV is a safe alternative to cutaneous diversion in POM. Most patients had improvement in upper tract dilatation with an acceptable short-term complication rate and need for re-operation (in comparison to routine later reimplantation). Our experience suggests that monitoring alone after UV is feasible, and that selective subsequent reconstruction is a reasonable strategy.

PMID:38603645 | DOI:10.1097/JU.0000000000003966

Categories
Nevin Manimala Statistics

What Clinicians Should Know About Surrogate Endpoints in Hematologic Malignancies

Blood. 2024 Apr 11:blood.2023022269. doi: 10.1182/blood.2023022269. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Use of surrogates as primary endpoints is commonplace in hematology/oncology clinical trials. As opposed to prognostic markers, surrogates are endpoints that can be measured early and yet can still capture the full effect of treatment, as it would be captured by the true outcome (e.g., overall survival). We discuss the level of evidence of the most commonly used endpoints in hematology and share recommendations on how to apply and evaluate surrogate endpoints in research and clinical practice. Based on the statistical literature, this clinician-friendly review intends to build a bridge between clinicians and surrogacy specialists.

PMID:38603637 | DOI:10.1182/blood.2023022269

Categories
Nevin Manimala Statistics

Analysis of blood flow of penile cavernous artery in 2 568 cases of erectile dysfunction

Zhonghua Nan Ke Xue. 2023 May;29(5):436-440.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the blood flow parameters of the cavernous arteries of ED patients after injection of vasoactive drugs, and to explore the differences in blood flow of the cavernous arteries in different erectile states.

METHODS: Retrospectively analyzed the penile cavernous arterial blood flow parameters of 2568 adult male ED patients after injection of the vasoactive drug (alprostadil). The patients were divided into three groups: maintaining erection group with EHS (erection hardness score) ≥ 3 and sustained erection time ≥ 20 minutes (967 cases), nonpersistent erection group with EHS≥3 and sustained erection time<5 minutes (788 cases), and incomplete erection group with EHS<3 (813 cases). Compared the parameters of age, EHS, duration of erection, cavernous artery peak systolic velocity (PSV), end diastolic velocity (EDV) and resistance index (RI) among the three groups respectively. The maintaining erection group was divided into the youth group (757 cases) which aged less than 40 years old and the middle-aged and elderly group (210 cases) with 40 years old or over. The parameters of PSV, EDV and RI between the two groups were compared. The incomplete erection group were divided into the good blood supply group (407 cases) with the bilateral PSV ≥35cm/s and the insufficient blood supply group (252 cases) with the bilateral PSV<35cm/s. The parameters of age, EHS, EDV and RI between the two groups were compared.

RESULTS: The age, PSV, EDV and RI of the three groups were significantly different (P<0.01). In the maintaining erection group, the PSV of the young group was significantly higher than that of the middle-aged and elderly group (P<0.05), but there was no statistically significant difference in EDV and RI (P>0.05). In the incomplete erection group, the EHS, PSV, EDV, and RI of the good blood supply group were significantly higher than those of the insufficient blood supply group (P<0.05), while the age was significantly lower than that of the latter (P<0.01).

CONCLUSION: The injection of vasoactive drugs combined with color Doppler ultrasound can directly reflect the blood supply of the cavernous arteries of the penis. The better the erection state, the better the blood supply of cavernous arteries. The middle-aged and elderly people are more likely to have cavernous arteries problem of insufficient blood supply than the young people.

PMID:38602761

Categories
Nevin Manimala Statistics

A single center study:An analysis of the safety and validity of delaying repeated biopsy for patients with atypical small acinar proliferation

Zhonghua Nan Ke Xue. 2023 May;29(5):414-419.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: To explore the association between atypical small acinar proliferation (ASAP) and subsequent diagnosis of intermediate and high risk prostate cancer (PCa), and analyze whether delaying repeat biopsy timing is safe and effective.

METHODS: From June 2000 to June 2022, we retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of 276 patients accepting prostatic biopsy and diagnosed with ASAP in China-Japan Union Hospital of Jilin University. 54.7% (151/276) patients had a repeat biopsy. We used statistic methods to process the data.

RESULTS: 25.2%(38/151)patients were diagnosed with PCa on repeat biopsy. Among them, 78.9%(30/38)patients had Gleason score (GS) 3+3 and 21.1% (8/38) had GS 3+4 disease. There were 4 and 6 patients got RP respectively in the two cohorts. Only 5.3% (8/151) of ASAP patients were diagnosed as intermediate risk PCa in repeated biopsy and specially, no high risk PCa was identified in our study.

CONCLUSION: It was safe and valid to delay the repeat biopsy.

PMID:38602757

Categories
Nevin Manimala Statistics

Effect of modified holmium laser enucleation of the prostate on postoperative urinary control and sexual function in elderly patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia

Zhonghua Nan Ke Xue. 2023 May;29(5):409-413.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the impact of retaining part of the urethral mucosa on postoperative urinary control, erectile function, and ejaculatory function in patients undergoing holmium laser enucleation of the prostate (HoLEP) surgery.

METHODS: A retrospective analysis was conducted on 176 benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) patients who underwent surgical treatment at our hospital from January 2019 to January 2022, including 80 cases of modified HoLEP surgery and 96 cases of standard HoLEP surgery. Preoperative and postoperative clinical data were collected and analyzed.

RESULTS: At 3 months postoperatively, both groups showed significant improvement in maximum flow rate (Qmax), International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS) , residual urine volume (RUV) , and quality of life (QOL) compared to pre-treatment values, with statistically significant differences (P<0.05) . There was a significant difference in QOL scores between the experimental and control groups (P<0.05) . At 3 months postoperatively, the incidence of urinary incontinence was significantly lower in the experimental group compared to the control group (P<0.05) . At 6 months postoperatively, both groups showed a significant increase in International Index of Erectile Function-5 (IIEF-5) scores compared to preoperative values (P<0.05) , with no significant difference between the two groups. The incidence of retrograde ejaculation in the experimental group was significantly lower than that in the control group (P<0.05) .

CONCLUSIONS: Retaining part of the urethral mucosa in HoLEP surgery can effectively treat BPH, providing significant advantages in terms of urinary control and playing a positive role in overall postoperative sexual function recovery.

PMID:38602756

Categories
Nevin Manimala Statistics

Mechanism study on the effect of androgen antagonism in prostate cancer

Zhonghua Nan Ke Xue. 2023 May;29(5):402-408.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: To explore the mechanism of tetrahydroxynonene (4-HNE) in the androgen antagonistic effect of prostate cancer through the androgen receptor (AR) – mitogen activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway.

METHOD: Prostate cancer LNCaP cells were divided into wild-type group (NC, control group) and transfection group. The transfection group was further divided into empty vector transfection group (NC-L7 group) and GSTA4 gene transfection group (A0718, GSTA4-OE group). The GSTA4-OE group received LNCaP cell culture and GSTA4 plasmid transfection to construct LNCaP stable 4-HNE cell lines, while the control group received LNCaP cell culture without GSTA4 plasmid transfection. Stimulating prostate cancer cells with different concentrations of 4-HNE (0, 40, 80, 120μmol/L) to activate the AR signaling pathway, Western blot was used to detect the expression of AR, MAKp, AKT, and PKCα proteins. Sixty cases of prostate cancer tissues and sixty cases of benign prostatic hyperplasia tissues were selected. Immunohistochemical staining was used to determine the positive expression rate of 4-HNE in the aforementioned tissues. The correlation between the positive expression of 4-HNE and tumor Gleason grade, as well as the progression of prostate cancer to CRPC, was analyzed.

RESULT: The level of 4-HNE in the GSTA4-OE group cells was inhibited. Western blot analysis showed that compared with the control group, the GSTA4-OE group had PKC in cells α The protein expression level significantly decreased (P<0.05), while the expression levels of AR and AKT proteins significantly increased (P<0.05). After treating prostate cancer cells with 40, 80, and 120μmol/L 4-HNE, compared with the control group, the expression level of AKT in the treatment group was significantly reduced (P<0.01), while the expression levels of MAKP (P<0.01), PKC (P<0.01), and AR (P<0.01) were significantly increased. The immunohistochemical results showed that the positive rate of 4-HNE was 5.0% in 60 cases of benign prostatic hyperplasia tissue and 63.3% in 60 cases of prostate cancer tissue, with a statistically significant difference (P<0.01). The positive rates of 4-HNE in Gleason grades 1-5 were 41.2%, 50.0%, 63.6%, 81.8%, and 100.0%, respectively. The higher the Gleason grade, the higher the positive rate of 4-HNE, and the difference was statistically significant (P<0.05). During a follow-up period of 10-35 months, 33 patients advanced to CRCP, while 27 patients did not. The positive expression rate of 4-HNE in the two groups showed a statistically significant difference (P<0.01).

CONCLUSION: Under the action of 4-HNE, the expression of AR-MAPK pathway related proteins increase. 4-HNE may promote the progression of prostate cancer through the AR-MAPK pathway, and 4-HNE is expected to become a new therapeutic target for CRPC.

PMID:38602755

Categories
Nevin Manimala Statistics

Difference between prostate cancer patients’ Gleason scores from preoperative biopsy and those from postoperative pathology

Zhonghua Nan Ke Xue. 2023 May;29(5):393-401.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the consistency of the Gleason scores of PCa patients based on preoperative biopsy with those from postoperative pathology, identify the possible factors influencing results of scoring, and construct a risk scoring model.

METHODS: We collected the demographic and clinical data on the patients with PCa confirmed by preoperative prostate biopsy or postoperative pathology and treated by radical prostatectomy within 6 months after diagnosis. Using paired sample t-test, we identified the difference between the Gleason scores based on preoperative biopsy and those from postoperative pathology, analyzed the demographic and clinical data on the patients for relevant factors affecting the consistency of the Gleason scores, and calculated and visualized the relative risk values of the factors through Poisson regression. From the continuous variables with statistical significance, we screened independent risk factors for the difference in the Gleason scores by Lasso regression analysis, established a risk scoring model, generated risk coefficients, and evaluated the predictive ability of the model using the ROC curve. Based on the results of imaging examination with statistically significant differences, we constructed a column chart by logistic regression and evaluated the predictive validity of the chart using calibration curves, decision curves and ROC curves.

RESULTS: The results of paired sample t-test for 210 PCa patients showed statistically significant differences between the Gleason scores from preoperative biopsy and those from postoperative pathology (P < 0.001). There were significant differences in the body weight, BMI and PSA level as well as in all other factors but prostate calcification between the patients with consistent and those with inconsistent Gleason scores (all P < 0.05). An 8-factor prediction model was successfully constructed, which could predict the consistency of Gleason scores, with a better predicting performance than the single indicator within the model. The nomogram exhibited a C-index value of 0.85, with the calibration curve similar to the standard one, the threshold of the decision curve 0.10-0.92, and the area under the ROC curve higher than other predictive indicators.

CONCLUSION: Based on the demographic and clinical data on PCa patients, a risk prediction model and a column chart were successfully constructed, which could effectively predict the difference between the Gleason scores from preoperative prostate biopsy and those from postoperative pathology.

PMID:38602754

Categories
Nevin Manimala Statistics

Nanostructure and dynamics of N-truncated copper amyloid-β peptides from advanced X-ray absorption fine structure

IUCrJ. 2024 May 1. doi: 10.1107/S2052252524001830. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

An X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) electrochemical cell was used to collect high-quality XAS measurements of N-truncated Cu:amyloid-β (Cu:Aβ) samples under near-physiological conditions. N-truncated Cu:Aβ peptide complexes contribute to oxidative stress and neurotoxicity in Alzheimer’s patients’ brains. However, the redox properties of copper in different Aβ peptide sequences are inconsistent. Therefore, the geometry of binding sites for the copper binding in Aβ4-8/12/16 was determined using novel advanced extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) analysis. This enables these peptides to perform redox cycles in a manner that might produce toxicity in human brains. Fluorescence XAS measurements were corrected for systematic errors including defective-pixel data, monochromator glitches and dispersion of pixel spectra. Experimental uncertainties at each data point were measured explicitly from the point-wise variance of corrected pixel measurements. The copper-binding environments of Aβ4-8/12/16 were precisely determined by fitting XAS measurements with propagated experimental uncertainties, advanced analysis and hypothesis testing, providing a mechanism to pursue many similarly complex questions in bioscience. The low-temperature XAS measurements here determine that CuII is bound to the first amino acids in the high-affinity amino-terminal copper and nickel (ATCUN) binding motif with an oxygen in a tetragonal pyramid geometry in the Aβ4-8/12/16 peptides. Room-temperature XAS electrochemical-cell measurements observe metal reduction in the Aβ4-16 peptide. Robust investigations of XAS provide structural details of CuII binding with a very different bis-His motif and a water oxygen in a quasi-tetrahedral geometry. Oxidized XAS measurements of Aβ4-12/16 imply that both CuII and CuIII are accommodated in an ATCUN-like binding site. Hypotheses for these CuI, CuII and CuIII geometries were proven and disproven using the novel data and statistical analysis including F tests. Structural parameters were determined with an accuracy some tenfold better than literature claims of past work. A new protocol was also developed using EXAFS data analysis for monitoring radiation damage. This gives a template for advanced analysis of complex biosystems.

PMID:38602752 | DOI:10.1107/S2052252524001830