He H, et al. World J Mens Health. 2023 Apr;41:e45. https://doi.org/10.5534/wjmh.220248

Upper ureteral stricture is a relatively rare but increasingly encountered condition in clinical practice. While simple stricture can often be addressed through endoluminal treatment or surgical reconstruction, complex upper ureteral stricture poses challenges, particularly in patients with ureteropelvic junction obstruction (UPJO) or perirenal pelvic fibrosis and scarring resulting from previous surgeries. These cases present difficulties for traditional endoluminal and ureteral reconstruction treatments, posing a significant problem for many clinical surgeons. Our study involved a thorough search and comprehensive analysis of the existing literature on Ureterocalicostomy (UC). The literature indicates that UC is a safe and effective treatment for ureteral stenosis. By resecting the renal lower pole parenchyma, it is possible to achieve mucosal anastomosis between the calyceal and ureteral mucosa, leading to the restoration of normal urinary excretion. This technique has emerged as an alternative for treating complex upper ureteral strictures. However, there is a lack of direct comparative studies between open surgery and minimally invasive surgery. Our findings revealed a scarcity of relevant review documents, with most being case reports or retrospective studies conducted in single centers with small sample sizes. Therefore, it is crucial to conduct large-scale, multicenter prospective studies and long-term follow-up to validate the long-term efficacy of UC. This article reviews the development history of UC and focuses on a comprehensive discussion of its indications, surgical techniques, and complications.

Small ubiquitin-related modifier (SUMO) proteins are involved in the development of tumors. Ubiquitin-like modifier-activating enzyme 2 (UBA2) is an important member of the SUMO modification system; however, its role in clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) is unclear. Therefore, we investigated the expression and function of UBA2 in ccRCC. Both mRNA and protein expression levels of UBA2 were found to be higher in ccRCC than in normal renal tissues and significantly related to the tumor size, Fuhrman grade, and tumor stage. UBA2 knockdown inhibited ccRCC cell growth, promoted apoptosis in vitro and in vivo, and decreased the abundance of a p53 mutant, c-Myc, and key enzymes of the SUMO modification system. Meanwhile, overexpression of UBA2 had the opposite effects. Overexpression of the p53 mutant or c-Myc alleviated the effects of UBA2 knockdown on ccRCC cell proliferation and apoptosis. In conclusion, targeting UBA2 may have a therapeutic potential against ccRCC.

Background and objective: The results of comparing standard Robotic-assisted Radical Prostatectomy (S-RARP) and Retzius-sparing Robotic-assisted Radical Prostatectomy (RS-RARP) in treating early urinary continence (UC), oncological outcomes, operation time, and perioperative morbidity in patients with clinically localized prostate cancer were analyzed. Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data of 120 cases of RS-RARP performed at the First Affiliated Hospital of Gannan Medical University from October 2019 to March 2025. Among them, 60 cases underwent standard Robotic-assisted Radical Prostatectomy (S-RARP), and 60 cases underwent Retzius-sparing Robotic-assisted Radical Prostatectomy (RS-RARP). The clinical data, perioperative indicators, and surgical outcomes of the two groups of patients were compared. Results: All 120 surgeries were successfully completed. The operation time (mean ± SD) of the S-RARP group was (138.97 ± 47.24) minutes, and that of the RS-RARP group was (150.78 ± 51.72) minutes. There was no statistically significant difference ( P > 0.05). The intraoperative blood loss (IQR) of the S-RARP group was 100.00 (237.50) mL, and the incidence of perioperative complications was 8.33% (5/60); for the RS-RARP group, it was 100.00 (150.00) mL and 6.67% (4/60), and the differences between the two groups were not statistically significant (all P > 0.05). The positive rate of surgical margins in the S-RARP group was 30% (18/60), and that in the RS-RARP group was 35% (21/60), and the difference was not statistically significant ( P > 0.05). Comparisons of the immediate, first-week, and first-month urinary continence recovery rates between the two groups showed that the RS-RARP group was superior to the S-RARP group, and the differences were statistically significant (all P < 0.01); however, the third-month urinary continence recovery rate showed no statistically significant difference ( P = 0.057). Conclusions: Retzius-sparing Robotic-assisted Radical Prostatectomy is beneficial for improving the early recovery of urinary incontinence in patients.

A uric acid calibration standard (UA-1), doped with 17 elements, was prepared using a recrystallization method. The synthetic standard was verified to exhibit homogeneity, with a relative standard deviation of ca. 5%.