LADG may be a technically feasible alternative for EGC when it is performed in experienced surgical centers in which patients undergoing LADG may benefit from the faster postoperative recovery. However, the currently available evidence cannot exclude the potential clinical benefits or harms, especially in the node-positive cases. Methodologically high-quality comparative studies are needed for further evaluation.

Research on molecular mechanisms of carcinogenesis plays an important role in diagnosing and treating gastric cancer. Metabolic profiling may offer the opportunity to understand the molecular mechanism of carcinogenesis and help to non-invasively identify the potential biomarkers for the early diagnosis of human gastric cancer. The aims of this study were to explore the underlying metabolic mechanisms of gastric cancer and to identify biomarkers associated with morbidity. Gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) was used to analyze the serum metabolites of 30 Chinese gastric cancer patients and 30 healthy controls. Diagnostic models for gastric cancer were constructed using orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA). Acquired metabolomic data were analyzed by the nonparametric Wilcoxon test to find serum metabolic biomarkers for gastric cancer. The OPLS-DA model showed adequate discrimination between cancer and non-cancer cohorts while the model failed to discriminate different pathological stages (I-IV) of gastric cancer patients. A total of 44 endogenous metabolites such as amino acids, organic acids, carbohydrates, fatty acids, and steroids were detected, of which 18 differential metabolites were identified with significant differences. A total of 13 variables were obtained for their greatest contribution in the discriminating OPLS-DA model [variable importance in the projection (VIP) value >1.0], among which 11 metabolites were identified using both VIP values (VIP >1) and the Wilcoxon test. These metabolites potentially revealed perturbations of glycolysis and of amino acid, fatty acid, cholesterol, and nucleotide metabolism of gastric cancer patients. These results suggest that gastric cancer serum metabolic profiling has great potential in detecting this disease and helping to understand its metabolic mechanisms.

BackgroundSepsis is now the leading cause of death in the non-cardiovascular intensive care unit (ICU). Recent research suggests that sepsis is likely to be due to an interaction between genetic and environmental factors. Genetic mutations of toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) and cluster of differentiation 14 (CD14) genes are involved in the immune and (or) inflammatory response. These may contribute to the susceptibility to sepsis in patients. This study was designed to evaluate whether the TLR4 and cluster CD14 gene polymorphisms are associated with susceptibility to sepsis.MethodsThe single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of TLR4 (rs10759932, rs11536889, rs7873784, rs12377632, rs1927907, rs1153879) and CD14 (rs2569190 and rs2563298) in patients with sepsis and control subjects in the Guangxi Province were analyzed by using the polymerase chain reaction-single base extension (PCR-SBE) and DNA sequencing methods.ResultsThe rs11536889 polymorphism in TLR4 and rs2563298 polymorphism in CD14 were significantly associated with the risk of sepsis when compared to the control group. The frequencies of rs11536889 and rs2563298 polymorphisms in the group with sepsis were higher than that in the control group (OR = 1.430, 95% CI, 1.032-1.981, P<0.05; OR = 2.454, 95% CI, 1.458-4.130, P<0.05, respectively). Followed up haplotype analysis suggested that there were two haplotypes in which increased risk factors for sepsis were indicated.ConclusionsThe rs11536889 polymorphism in TLR4 and rs2563298 polymorphism in CD14, and two haplotypes were associated with increased susceptibility to sepsis.

Glass-free three-dimensional (3D) endoscopic provide excellent depth perception without decreasing light quality and fog formation. Herein we report our first case-serial of trans-oral endoscopic thyroidectomy by means of our newly developed glasses-free 3D endoscopic system. Four patients with thyroid goiter undergone trans-oral glasses-free 3D endosocpic thyroidectomy were reviewed. Mean BMI of these patients was 20.98±2.91 kg/m. The dominate nodule of the thyroid was no more than 5 cm in diameter in all patients. Operation duration was 189.00±39.14 min, and mean Intraoperative blood loss was 7.50±2.89 mL. No postoperative complications were observed. All patients were satisfied with the cosmetic result. The use of a glasses-free 3D system in trans-oral endoscopic thyroidectomy is safe and effective. The clear image casted to the surgeon can greatly facilitate precise surgical movement and reduce eye fatigue. Further comparative studies should be conducted to confirm our conclusions.