Endophytic fungi play a critical ecological role in the growth and development of orchids, but little is known about the spatial and temporal dynamics of fungal diversity or the ecological functions ...of fungi during orchid growth and reproduction. Calanthe sieboldii Decne. is listed in the Chinese National Key Protected Wild Plants as a class I protected wild plant. To understand the community characteristics of root and soil fungi of the orchid during its reproductive seasons, we investigated the community composition, spatial and temporal dynamics, and functional characteristics of the orchid microhabitat fungi by using diversity and ecological functional analyses. We discovered that there were three, seven, and four dominant fungal families in the orchid's roots, rhizoplane soil, and rhizosphere soil, respectively. Tulasnellaceae, Aspergillaceae, and Tricholomataceae were the dominant fungi in this endangered orchid's microhabitats. The closer the fungal community was to the orchid, the more stable and the less likely the community composition to change significantly over time. The fungal communities of this orchid's roots and rhizoplane soil varied seasonally, while those of the rhizosphere soil varied interannually. Saprophytic fungi were the most abundant in the orchid's fungal community, and the closer the distance to the orchid, the more symbiotic fungi were present. The fungi in different parts of the root microhabitat of C. sieboldii showed different spatiotemporal dynamic patterns. The fungal community near the orchid roots was relatively stable and displayed seasonal variation, while the community further away from the roots showed greater variation. In addition, compared with the soil fungi, the dominant endophytic fungi were more stable, and these may be key fungi influencing orchid growth and development. Our study on the spatiotemporal dynamics and functions of fungi provides a basis for the comprehensive understanding and utilization of orchid endophytic fungi.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Background:
Previous studies revealed that the prothrombotic factors in patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) remain controversial.
Aim/Objective:
The aim of the systematic review is to ...elucidate the relationship between prothrombotic factors and OSA.
Materials and Methods:
This systematic review was performed under the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis guidelines. The literature we investigated was extracted from 4 main medical databases (PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, and Chinese databases) as of February 2020. We used significant weighted mean differences (SMDs) with 95% CIs from random-effects model.
Results:
A total of 15 studies comprising 2190 patients were available for the meta-analysis. The pooled results showed that the levels of fibrinogen (SMD = 0.95, 95% CI = 0.26 to 1.65, P = .000), vascular endothelial growth factor (SMD = 0.37, 95% CI = −0.90 to 1.63, P = .000), and plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 (SMD = 0.61, 95% CI = 0.29 to 0.92, P = .040) increased in patients with OSA. There were no statistical differences between groups in terms of d-dimer (P = .108) and platelet counts (P = .233). Subgroup analyses demonstrated that specimen types and age could account for the heterogeneity.
Conclusions and Significance:
This meta-analysis indicated the relationship between prothrombotic factors in OSA hypopnea. Obstructive sleep apnea–related effects may underline the importance of considering the dysfunction of the hemostatic system. The prothrombotic factors in OSA can influence making a choice of appropriate therapy.
Lymphatic malformations (LMs) are benign congenital malformations that stem from the abnormal development of the lymphatic vessels during early embryogenesis. Somatic PIK3CA gene mutations are ...conventional cause leading to LMs. Both macrocystic and microcystic LMs arise due to lymphatic endothelial cell-autonomous defects, depending on the time in development at which PIK3CA gene mutation occurs. Recent study finds a PIK3CA mutation in 79% of LMs. However, discovering new genetic events in this disease is crucial to identify the molecular mechanism of the pathogenesis and further develop new targeted therapies.
Here, we initially performed whole-exome sequencing in six children with LMs to find a new causal gene. Somatic mutations in PIK3CA (c.1633G > A p. E545K and PIK3CD (c.1997T > C p.L666P) were discovered in two different individuals. In vitro functional studies were conducted to demonstrate the pathogenicity of the novel mutation c.1997T > C in PIK3CD. We found that L666P promoted the cell proliferation and migration of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) and induced hyperactivation of the mTOR pathway. These findings indicate that the PIK3CD mutation affects downstream signalling in endothelial cells, which may impair normal lymphangiogenesis.
This study reveals a novel candidate gene associated with the development of LMs, which is consistent with previous researches. These findings in our study may offer a novel gene target for developing therapies, which acts in tight interaction with the previously known PIK3CA.
Background The influence of lymph node dissection (LND) on survival in patients with head and neck neurogenic tumors remains unclear. We aimed to determine the effect of LND on the outcomes of ...patients with head and neck neurogenic tumors. Methods Data of patients with surgically treated head and neck neurogenic tumors were identified from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database (1975-2016) to investigate the relationship between LND and clinical outcomes by survival analysis. Subgroup analysis was performed in IVa and IVb group. Results In total, 662 head and neck neurogenic tumor patients (median age: 49.0 0-91.0 years) met the inclusion criteria, of whom 13.1% were in the IVa group and 86.9% were in the IVb group. The median follow-up time was 76.0 months (range: 6.0-336.0 months), and the 5-year and 10-year overall survival was 82.4% (95% CI, 0.79-0.85) and 69.0% (95% CI, 0.64-0.73). Cox regression analysis revealed older age (P < .001), advanced stage (P = .037), African American race (P = .002), diagnosis before 2004 (P < .001), and chemotherapy administration (P < .001) to be independent negative predictors of overall survival. Kaplan-Meier analysis demonstrated that LND was not a predictor of clinical nodal negativity (cN0) in either IVa or IVb patients. Conclusions In head and neck neurogenic patients, LND may not impact the outcome of cN0 in either IVa or IVb group. These data can be recommended in guiding surgical plan and future studies. Keywords: Head and neck, Lymph node dissection, Overall survival, Neuroblastoma, Esthesioneuroblastoma
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Objectives:
Bronchogenic cyst is a rare congenital disease which occurs especially in the neck region. This report presents 6 cases of bronchogenic cysts and discusses the diagnosis and surgical ...experience of this anomaly.
Methods:
A retrospective study of 6 pediatric patients with cervical bronchogenic cysts treated in our hospital during 2016 to 2019 was performed. We recorded and analyzed the clinical data of the patients, including age, symptoms, imaging findings, surgical procedure, and complications.
Results:
All patients underwent surgical excision. The chondroid tissues were found at the base of cysts which clung to the trachea in 5 patients and completely removed by surgery without recurrence. One patient showed recurrence due to residual cartilage after the first surgery, and the second surgery was required to resect the remaining cartilage. During the surgery, the recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) detector was used, which confirmed that all the RLNs clung to the side wall of cysts. All cases were cured without complications.
Conclusions:
Although rare, bronchogenic cysts should be considered in the differential diagnosis of peritracheal masses in children. Complete resection of the bronchogenic cysts, including the cartilages at the base, is vital in preventing recurrence. The RLN must be protected during the surgery.
Rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) is the most common soft tissue tumor in children, and its most common pathological types include embryonal RMS and alveolar RMS. In contrast, spindle cell RMS (SRMS) is a rare ...type. Moreover, the tongue is a rare primary site of RMS, and infancy is a rare age at onset.
Two infants were diagnosed with lingual RMS at 3 and 5 months after birth, respectively, and were admitted to Beijing Children's Hospital. The pathological type in both cases was SRMS. Both were classified as low-risk and were treated with surgery and chemotherapy. Case 1 was in complete remission at the latest follow-up, and Case 2 had a relapse 10 months after stopping chemotherapy, achieving complete remission after the multimodal treatment of chemotherapy, surgery, and radiotherapy. The venous blood gene test of the two infants did not indicate a pathogenic mutation or a possible pathogenic mutation related to RMS. In Case 1, variants of the
and
genes, both with unknown significance and a possible relation to RMS, were detected. In Case 2, three gene variants of unknown significance that were possibly associated with RMS-
,
, and
-were identified.
Lingual RMS in infants is rare. Its clinical manifestations lack specificity, and early recognition is complex. The success and timing of local treatment are important prognostic factors. Genetic testing may be helpful for the early detection of tumor susceptibility and the estimation of prognosis.
Objective:
This study was designed to summarize the clinical characteristics, diagnosis and treatment of pharyngeal bronchogenic cysts in children to help in making the correct diagnosis and ...developing an appropriate treatment plan.
Methods:
The clinical data of 13 children with bronchogenic cysts in the pharynx, who were treated in otolaryngology head and neck surgery department between September 2013 and July 2019, were analyzed retrospectively. The clinical characteristics were evaluated, and the related factors for diagnosis and treatment were analyzed. Clinical characteristics and imaging features of three cases whose lesions located in the nasopharyngeal, oropharynx, and laryngopharyngeal were demonstrated.
Results:
All 13 children were male, the youngest being 4 days old, the oldest 6 years and 6 months, and the median age being 1 year and 4 months. Eight patients were diagnosed during a physical examination, and five patients visited the doctor with different degrees of upper airway obstruction. The mass was located in the nasopharynx in one patient, in the oropharynx in eight patients, and in the laryngopharynx in the other four patients. Computed tomography (CT) scanning, which is helpful for a topical diagnosis, showed a dense homogeneous mass. Electronic nasopharyngoscopy showed cystic masses of different sizes in the pharynx. All the children underwent cyst resection under general anesthesia, and the postoperative pathology result was a bronchogenic cyst. One child was lost to follow-up, but the remaining 12 children were followed up for between 6 months and 6 years, during which no recurrence of a cyst was found.
Conclusion:
Bronchogenic cysts are a rare cyst of the head and neck, and the most common site of the cyst is the oropharynx. The impact on airway obstruction depends on the location and size of the cyst. CT scanning is of great significance for diagnosis. Surgical treatment should be carried out as soon as possible after diagnosis, as surgery is the most effective way to treat bronchogenic cysts. Follow-ups should be carried out regularly to prevent cyst recurrence.
Importance
Neuroblastoma is the most common extracranial malignant solid tumor in children. Multidisciplinary care is critical to improving the survival of pediatric patients with neuroblastoma.
...Objective
To systematically summarize the clinical characteristics of children with neuroblastoma and evaluate their prognosis with multidisciplinary care provided in a single center.
Methods
This retrospective study analyzed the clinical data of 1041 patients with neuroblastoma who were diagnosed, treated, and followed‐up in the Hematology‐Oncology Center of Beijing Children’s Hospital from 2007 to 2019.
Results
The median age at diagnosis was 34 months; 80.8% of the patients were younger than 5 years of age. Notably, 243 patients (23.3%) were classified as low‐risk, 249 patients (23.9%) were classified as intermediate‐risk, and 549 (52.7%) were classified as high‐risk. Furthermore, 956 patients underwent surgical resections; 986 (94.7%) patients received chemotherapy; and 176 patients with high‐risk neuroblastoma received hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. The 5‐year event‐free survival (EFS) rate was 91.3% and 5‐year overall survival (OS) rate was 97.5% in low‐risk group; in the intermediate‐risk group, these rates were 85.1% and 96.7%, respectively, while they were 37.7% and 48.9% in the high‐risk group (P < 0.001 for both). The 5‐year EFS and OS rates were significantly higher in patients diagnosed between 2015 and 2019 than in patients diagnosed between 2007 and 2014 (P < 0.001). In total, 278 patients (26.7%) exhibited tumor relapse or progression; the median interval until relapse or progression was 14 months. Of the 233 patients who died, 83% died of relapse or progression of neuroblastoma and 4.3% died of therapy‐related complications.
Interpretation
The 5‐year OS rate was low in high‐risk patients, compared with low‐and intermediate‐risk patients. Multidisciplinary care is critical for improvement of survival in pediatric patients with neuroblastoma. Additional treatment strategies should be sought to improve the prognosis of patients with high‐risk neuroblastoma.
A multidisciplinary modality for the diagnosis and treatment of neuroblastoma is the key to improve the survival of children with neuroblastoma.
Purpose
The cervicothoracic junction (CTJ) lesions in children is rare. Surgical treatment for lesions at the cervicothoracic junction is challenging due to the presence of the great vessels and ...other thoracic structures. There are no criteria that help select a surgical approach to manage cervicothoracic lesions in children so far. This study focuses on the cervicothoracic junction lesions in children(C7-T4) and provides experience for the appropriate surgical approach for them.
Methods: This retrospective study enrolled 18 children with cervicothoracic junction lesions who underwent surgical treatment in our Hospital from January 2015 to September 2019. They were evaluated with preoperative CT or MR imaging and diagnosed postoperatively by pathological examination.
Results: This study included 2 patients with congenital lesions, 4 patients with benign lesions, and 12 patients with malignant lesions. Lesions with a margin below C7-T3, including benign and malignant tumors could be resected using a simple low anterior cervical approach (LACA). Congenital lesions and benign lesions with a margin below T4 could also be treated with this approach. Two-thirds of the malignant lesions below T4 were resected through the LACA combined with video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS). 1 patient with malignant lesion extending to T4 was removed by the LACA combined with posterolateral thoracotomy.
Conclusions: The lesions at the cervicothoracic junction (C7-T4) in children may be managed with the simple LACA used in most patients. For malignancies extending to the T4 level, LACA and VATS could be performed in combination to resect lesions completely and invasively.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IJS, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
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