Neuroblastoma (NB) tumor rupture is a rare oncology emergency with a poor prognosis. We aimed to evaluate patient clinical characteristics and risk factors for ruptured NB.
A retrospective study of ...47 patients with confirmed NB rupture between January 2009 and January 2019 at Beijing Children's Hospital was conducted. To identify tumor rupture risk factors in high-risk NB patients, we included 93 consecutive non-ruptured high-risk NB patients from January 2017 to January 2019.
The median age at presentation was 29 months (adrenal and retroperitoneum origin) for 47 ruptured NB patients. Spontaneous tumor rupture occurred in 22 cases; 18 cases occurred during or after the first chemotherapy cycle, and 7 occurred after core needle biopsy. Five patients died of tumor rupture, and 17 patients' parents refused further antitumor therapy. Among the 25 remaining patients, 6 survived without disease, 5 received ongoing treatment and achieved stable disease, and 14 died. According to multivariate logistic regression analysis, a maximum primary tumor diameter > 13.20 cm and MYCN gene amplification were independent risk factors for tumor rupture within high-risk NB.
Tumor rupture is an uncommon, life-threatening event for NB patients; these patients are most likely to have poor outcomes due to tumor recurrence or rapid progression. Several treatment modalities, including symptomatic support therapy and chemotherapy, are important for saving lives and for developing NB risk-based treatment in the future.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Opsoclonus-myoclonus syndrome (OMS) is a rare neurological disease. Some children with OMS also have neuroblastoma (NB). We and others have previously documented that serum IgG from children with OMS ...and NB induces neuronal cytolysis and activates several signaling pathways. However, the mechanisms underlying OMS remain unclear. Here, we investigated whether nitric oxide (NO) from activated microglias and its cascade contribute to neuronal cytolysis in pediatric OMS.
The activation of cultured cerebral cortical and cerebellar microglias incubated with sera or IgG isolated from sera of children with OMS and NB was measured by the expression of the activation marker, cytokines, and NO. Neuronal cytolysis was determined after exposing to IgG-treated microglia-conditioned media. Using inhibitors and activators, the effects of NO synthesis and its intracellular cascade, namely soluble guanylyl cyclase (sGC) and protein kinase G (PKG), on neuronal cytolysis were evaluated.
Incubation with sera or IgG from children with OMS and NB increased the activation of cerebral cortical and cerebellar microglias, but not the activation of astrocytes or the cytolysis of glial cells. Moreover, the cytolysis of neurons was elevated by conditioned media from microglias incubated with IgG from children with OMS and NB. Furthermore, the expression of NO, sGC, and PKG was increased. Neuronal cytolysis was relieved by the inhibitors of NO signaling, while neuronal cytolysis was exacerbated by the activators of NO signaling but not proinflammatory cytokines. The cytolysis of neurons was suppressed by pretreatment with the microglial inhibitor minocycline, a clinically tested drug. Finally, increased microglial activation did not depend on the Fab fragment of serum IgG.
Serum IgG from children with OMS and NB potentiates microglial activation, which induces neuronal cytolysis through the NO/sGC/PKG pathway, suggesting an applicability of microglial inhibitor as a therapeutic candidate.
Rare autosomal-recessive variants in tetratricopeptide repeat domain 7A (
) gene have been shown to cause intestinal and immune disorders of variable severity. Missense mutations in
gene, usually ...retaining most of the functional motifs, is associated with relative milder clinical presentations. In this study, we reported a patient who was suffering from severe multiple intestinal atresia (MIA) with combined immunodeficiency (CID) that led to the pyloric diaphragm, ileum atresia, colon stenosis, and multiple episodes of sepsis. In spite of several surgeries and supportive treatment, the patient died of severe sepsis and multiple organ failure at age of 3 months. The whole exome sequencing (WES) of peripheral blood samples identified a novel homozygous
missense mutation (c. 206T>C, p. L69P), inherited from his parents with consanguineous marriage.
analysis revealed that a hydrogen bond present between Gly65 and Leu69 in the wild-type TTC7A was disrupted by the Leu69Pro mutation. Moreover, this homozygous missense mutation led to a reduced TTC7A expression in lymphocytes and intestinal tissues, accompanied by impeded lymphocyte development. Further studies demonstrated that the PI4K-FAM126A-EFR3A pathway was impaired in colon tissues. Our data strongly support the linkage of severe MIA-CID with the missense mutation in
gene. More knowledge of the TTC7A protein functions will have important therapeutic implications for patients with MIA-CID.
When compared with the established palladium and nickel catalyst systems, simple iron salts turn out to be highly efficient, cheap, toxicologically benign, and environmentally friendly precatalysts ...for a host of cross-coupling reactions of alkyl or aryl Grignard reagents. The inorganic Grignard reagent Fe(MgX)2, where X corresponds to Br or I, is a good catalyst for cross-coupling reactions. The present study reports a thorough theoretical analysis of the mechanisms of the Fe(MgBr)2 catalyzed cross-coupling reaction between 4-chlorobenzoic acid methyl ester and n-hexylicmagnesium bromide using density functional theory (DFT) calculations. Our calculations show that the overall catalytic cycle includes three basic steps: oxidation of Fe(MgBr)2 to obtain Ar–Fe(MgBr), addition to yield Ar–(n-hexyl)–Fe(MgBr)2, and reductive elimination to return to Fe(MgBr)2. The energy barrier is lower if n-hexylicmagnesium bromide attacks the intermediate of the oxidative addition directly before Cl–Mg–Br dissociates to form the middle product Ar–Fe(MgBr) than if the attack occurs after the dissociation of Cl–Mg–Br. The solvation effect in this step clearly leads to a lowering of the energy barrier. The rate-limiting step in the whole catalytic cycle is the reductive elimination of Ar–(n-hexyl)–Fe(MgBr)2 to regenerate the catalyst Fe(MgBr)2, where the electronic energy barrier ΔE is 29.74 kcal/mol in the gas phase and the Gibb’s free energy in solvent THF ΔG sol is 28.13 kcal/mol computed using the C-PCM method.
This retrospective study aimed to develop and validate a combined model based
FFDG PET/CT radiomics and clinical parameters for predicting recurrence in high-risk pediatric neuroblastoma patients.
...Eighty-four high-risk neuroblastoma patients were retrospectively enrolled and divided into training and test sets according to the ratio of 3:2.
FFDG PET/CT images of the tumor were segmented by 3D Slicer software and the radiomics features were extracted. The effective features were selected by the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator to construct the radiomics score (Rad_score). And the radiomics model (R_model) was constructed based on Rad_score for prediction of recurrence. Then, univariate and multivariate analyses were used to screen out the independent clinical risk parameters and construct the clinical model (C_model). A combined model (RC_model) was developed based on the Rad_score and independent clinical risk parameters and presented as radiomics nomogram. The performance of the above three models was assessed by the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) and decision curve analysis (DCA).
Seven radiomics features were selected for building the R_model. The AUCs of the C_model in training and test sets were 0.744 (95% confidence interval CI, 0.595-0.874) and 0.750 (95% CI, 0.577-0.904), respectively. The R_model yielded AUCs of 0.813 (95% CI, 0.685-0.916) and 0.869 (95% CI, 0.715-0.985) in the training and test sets, respectively. The RC_model demonstrated the largest AUCs of 0.889 (95% CI, 0.794-0.963) and 0.892 (95% CI, 0.758-0.992) in the training and test sets, respectively. DCA demonstrated that RC_model added more net benefits than either the C_model or the R_model for predicting recurrence in high-risk pediatric neuroblastoma.
The combined model performed well for predicting recurrence in high-risk pediatric neuroblastoma, which can facilitate disease follow-up and management in clinical practice.
Experimental studies recently show that iron salts are effective catalysts for oxaziridine-mediated oxyamination reactions, in place of the powerful osmium-catalyzed Sharpless aminohydroxylation ...method. The present study reports a theoretical analysis of the mechanism of the iron-catalyzed aminohydroxylation reaction between vinylbenzene and N-sulfonyloxaziridine substrate using density functional theory (DFT) calculations. Our calculations show that the Fe(II)-catalyzed process is favored over the Fe(III)-catalyzed process for the overall catalytic cycle. The rate-limiting step in the whole catalytic cycle is the process of forming the final aminohydroxylation product from a six-membered-ring intermediate, but the solvation effect in MeCN of this step leads to a lowering of the energy barrier computed using the C-PCM method. The regioselectivity has also been investigated.
In this study, the solubility of m-phenylenediamine in four pure solvents (methanol, ethanol, acetonitrile and water) and three binary solvent (methanol + water), (ethanol + water) and ...(acetonitrile + water) systems were determined in the temperature ranging from 278.15 K to 313.15 K by using the gravimetric method under atmospheric pressure. In the temperature range of 278.15 K to 313.15 K, the mole fraction solubility values of m-phenylenediamine in water, methanol, ethanol, and acetonitrile are 0.0093–0.1533, 0.1668–0.5589, 0.1072–0.5356, and 0.1717–0.6438, respectively. At constant temperature and solvent composition, the mole fraction solubility of o-phenylenediamine in four pure solvents was increased as the following order: water < ethanol < methanol < acetonitrile; and in the three binary solvent mixtures could be ranked as follows: (ethanol + water) < (methanol + water) < (acetonitrile + water). The relationship between the experimental temperature and the solubility of m-phenylenediamine was revealed as follows: the solubility of m-phenylenediamine in pure and binary solvents could be increased with the increase of temperature. The experimental values were correlated with the Jouyban–Acree model, van't Hoff–Jouyban–Acree model, modified Apelblat–Jouyban–Acree model, Sun model and Ma model. The standard dissolution enthalpy, standard dissolution entropy and the Gibbs energy were calculated based on the experimental solubility data. In the binary solvent mixtures, the dissolution of m-phenylenediamine could be an endothermic process. The solubility data, correlation equations and thermodynamic property obtained from this study would be invoked as basic data and models regarding the purification and crystallization process of m-phenylenediamine.
To explore the criteria, safety and efficacy of laparoscopic surgery in pediatric neuroblastoma (NB).
A retrospective study of 87 patients with NB without image-defined risk factors (IDRFs) between ...December 2016 and January 2021 at Beijing Children's Hospital was conducted. Patients were divided into two groups according to the surgical procedure.
Between the 87 patients, there were 54 (62.07%) cases in the open surgery group and 33 (37.93%) cases in the laparoscopic surgery group. There were no significant differences between the two groups regarding demographic characteristics, genomic and biological features, operating time or postoperative complications. However, in terms of intraoperative bleeding (p = 0.013) and the time to start postoperative feeding after surgery (p = 0.002), the laparoscopic group was obviously better than the open group. Furthermore, there was no significant difference in the prognosis between the two groups, and no recurrence or death was observed.
For children with localized NB who have no IDRFs, laparoscopic surgery could be performed safely and effectively. Surgeons who are skilled in this can help children reduce surgical injuries, speed up postoperative recovery, and obtain the same prognosis as open surgery.
Background Neuroblastoma (NB) is a highly heterogeneous tumor, and more than half of newly diagnosed NB are associated with extensive metastases. Accurately characterizing the heterogeneity of ...whole-body tumor lesions remains clinical challenge. This study aims to quantify whole-tumoral metabolic heterogeneity (WMH) derived from whole-body tumor lesions, and investigate the prognostic value of WMH in NB. Methods We retrospectively enrolled 95 newly diagnosed pediatric NB patients in our department. Traditional semi-quantitative PET/CT parameters including the maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax), the mean standardized uptake value (SUVmean), the peak standardized uptake value (SUVpeak), metabolic tumor volume (MTV) and total lesion glycolysis (TLG) were measured. These PET/CT parameters were expressed as PSUVmax, PSUVmean, PSUVpeak, PMTV, PTLG for primary tumor, WSUVmax, WSUVmean, WSUVpeak, WMTV, WTLG for whole-body tumor lesions. The metabolic heterogeneity was quantified using the areas under the curve of the cumulative SUV-volume histogram index (AUC-CSH index). Intra-tumoral metabolic heterogeneity (IMH) and WMH were extracted from primary tumor and whole-body tumor lesions, respectively. The outcome endpoints were overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS). Survival analysis was performed utilizing the univariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression. The optimal cut-off values for metabolic parameters were obtained by receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC). Results During follow up, 27 (28.4%) patients died, 21 (22.1%) patients relapsed and 47 (49.5%) patients remained progression-free survival, with a median follow-up of 35.0 months. In survival analysis, WMTV and WTLG were independent indicators of PFS, and WMH was an independent risk factor of PFS and OS. However, IMH only showed association with PFS and OS. In addition to metabolic parameters, the International Neuroblastoma Staging System (INSS) was identified as an independent risk factor for PFS, and neuron-specific enolase (NSE) served as an independent predictor of OS. Conclusion WMH was an independent risk factor for PFS and OS, suggesting its potential as a novel prognostic marker for newly diagnosed NB patients. Keywords: Neuroblastoma, Whole-tumoral metabolic heterogeneity, Intra-tumoral metabolic heterogeneity, .sup.18F-FDG PET/CT, Prognosis
Lymphatic leakage is one of the postoperative complications of neuroblastoma. The purpose of this study is to summarize the clinical characteristics and risk factors of lymphatic leakage and try to ...find effective prevention and treatment measures.
A retrospective study included 186 children with abdominal neuroblastoma, including 32 children of lymphatic leakage and 154 children of non-lymphatic leakage. The clinical information, surgical data, postoperative abdominal drainage, treatment of lymphatic leakage and prognosis of the two groups were collected and analyzed.
The incidence of lymphatic leakage in this cohort was 14% (32 children). Through univariate analysis of lymphatic leakage group and non-lymphatic leakage group, we found that lymphatic leakage increased the complications, prolonged the time of abdominal drainage and hospitalization, and delayed postoperative chemotherapy (p < 0.05). In this cohort, the median follow-up time was 46 (95% CI: 44-48) months. The follow-up data of 7 children were partially missing. 147 children survived, of which 23 had tumor recurrence (5 children recurred in the surgical area). 37 children died, of which 32 had tumor recurrence (9 children recurred in the operation area). In univariate analysis, there was no statistical difference in overall survival (p = 0.21) and event-free survival (p = 0.057) between lymphatic leakage group and non-lymphatic leakage group, while 3-year cumulative incidence of local progression was higher in lymphatic leakage group (p = 0.015). However, through multivariate analysis, we found that lymphatic leakage did not affect event-free survival, overall survival and cumulative incidence of local progression in children with neuroblastoma. Resection of 5 or more lymphatic regions was an independent risk factor for lymphatic leakage after neuroblastoma surgery. All 32 children with lymphatic leakage were cured by conservative treatment without surgery. Of these, 75% (24/32) children were cured by fat-free diet or observation, 25% (8/32) children were cured by total parenteral nutrition. The median drain output at diagnosis in total parenteral nutrition group was higher than that in non-total parenteral nutrition group (p < 0.001). The cut-off value was 17.2 ml/kg/day.
Lymphatic leakage does not affect the prognosis of children with neuroblastoma, but long-term drain output caused by lymphatic leakage will still adversely affect postoperative complications and follow-up treatment, which requires attention and active treatment measures. More attention should be paid to the children with 5 or more lymphatic regions resection, and the injured lymphatic vessels should be actively found and ligated after tumor resection to reduce the postoperative lymphatic leakage. Early application of total parenteral nutrition is recommended for those who have drain output at diagnosis of greater than 17.2 ml/kg/day.
Level III, Treatment study (Retrospective comparative study).