To explore the quantitative measurements and evaluation of intra-peritoneal fat distribution by MDCT and its significance in predicting intra-operative bleeding volume during D2 lymphadenectomy in gastric cancer (GC) patients. From June 2016 to September 2017, GC patients scheduled for open gastrectomy with D2 lymph-node dissection were enrolled. According to the BMI, the subjects were then classified as normal BMI(BMI<25 kg/m2); overweight (BMI = 25-30 kg/m2) and obese (BMI≥30 kg/m2). According to the intraoperative blood loss (IBL), the patients were further separated into high IBL (IBL; ≥ 300 ml) or low IBL (<300 ml). Clinicopathological parameters between the groups were statistically compared and univariate and multivariate analysis were used to identify predictive factors such as intra-peritoneal fat areas (IFA) and intra-peritoneal fat areas ratio (IFAR) for high IBL. A total of 226 patients were included in the study where 53 patients underwent distal while 173 underwent total gastrectomy. According to the BMI classification, there were 25 normal BMI, 108 overweight and 25 obese subjects. According to the IBL, there were 98 high IBL and 128 low IBL subjects. IFA and IFAR were significantly greater in the high IBL group than in the low IBL group. There was no significant difference in any other clinicopathological factors between the high IBL group and the low IBL group. Multivariate analysis revealed that high IFA and IFAR independently predicted high IBL. The use of MDCT to evaluate the precise distribution of abdominal fat during preoperative examination can prompt surgeons to develop techniques to decrease intraoperative bleeding in obese patients. Nevertheless, it is yet necessary to be surgically more meticulous when dealing with patients with high IFA or high IFA/IFAR in order to improve the outcome of D2 gastrectomy.

Background: Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) glycoprotein 42 (gp42) enters B lymphocytes by binding to the human leukocyte antigen II (HLA-II) on their surface, in a process involving other EBV proteins (e.g., gH/gL and gp350). From a latent state of infection, the virus may reactivate and enter into a rapid proliferation phase, which enables the further entry of EBV into B lymphocytes and epithelial cells, leading to tumor development. EBV is an oncogenic virus associated with Hodgkin lymphoma (HL), and gp42 is a key protein in EBV infection of B lymphocytes. However, the exact binding pattern and capacity of gp42 are unclear. Methods: The patterns and morphologies of gp42 binding to HLA-DPB1 were obtained through molecular dynamics simulation. The binding efficiency of gp42 and HLA-DPB1 was verified by plasmid construction and flow cytometry. Results: The β-chain of HLA-DPB1 and the α-chain of gp42 formed a hydrogen-bonded complex, which was a hydrophilic protein with a resolution of 3.25. The binding efficiency between HLA-DPB1 and gp42 reached its peak (range, 26–31.3%) at a gp42 protein concentration of 80 µg. Conclusions: We can inhibit the binding of gp42 to HLA-DPB1 by reducing the concentration of gp42. In the subsequent experiments, we will verify whether the binding of gp42 to HLA-DPB1 can be prevented by breaking hydrogen bonds and destroying hydrophilicity. These data may provide certain reference value for the development and treatment of Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

Background: Ovarian metastasis following radical gastrectomy, also known as metachronous ovarian metastasis (MOM), pose a significant threat to the long-term survival of female gastric cancer (GC) patients. However, a mechanism to identify and characterize operated patients at high risk of developing MOM remains unknown. This retrospective study aimed to identify risk factors for the occurrence of MOM based on the profiling of clinicopathological parameters and expression of sex hormone receptors (SHR) of operated GC patients with and without ovarian relapse. Methods: The clinicopathological data of 1,055 female GC patients from two medical centers who underwent surgery between January 2011 and December 2015 were reviewed. A total of 378 patients with and without the occurrence of MOM met the eligibility criteria, including the availability of medical records, adequacy of lymph node dissection, completeness of clinicopathological data, sufficient follow-up time, and no administration of neoadjuvant chemotherapy were selected for further analysis. Expressions of estrogen receptor alpha (ERα), estrogen receptor beta (ERβ), and progesterone receptor (PR) were detected by immunohistochemical staining on the surgical specimens of patients, and retrospective statistical analyses identified independent risk factors for the occurrence of MOM. A risk prediction model in the format of a polygenic hazard score (PHS) for the occurrence of MOM was established by introducing and modifying the previously validated polygenic risk score (PRS)/PHS. Results: A Cox regression-based multivariate analysis identified premenopausal with an HR of 3.15 (95% CI, 1.66–5.98), more advanced pathological T stage with an HR of 3.79 (95% CI, 2.14–6.69), more advanced pathological N stage with an HR of 1.85 (95% CI, 1.35–2.54), and negative expression of ERβ with an HR of 0.33 (95% CI, 0.15–0.7) as independent risk factors for the occurrence of MOM (P<0.01). Accordingly, a PHS for the occurrence of MOM was established, with 1-, 2-, and 3-year ovarian relapse rates for the high-risk group estimated at 17.8%, 33.7%, and 46.2%, respectively. Conclusions: Premenopausal status, depth of tumor invasion, number of positive lymph nodes, and negative expression of ERβ were independent factors for the occurrence of MOM. More frequent follow-up examinations are recommended to provide timely diagnosis and medical intervention.

Background: Endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) has increasingly gained broad application in the treatment of early gastric cancer (EGC). This study aimed at evaluating the clinical significance of lymph node metastasis (LNM) in patients with ulcer positive [UL (+)] EGC and assessing the feasibility of expanded indications of ESD for such cases. Methods: Patients with UL (+) EGC undergoing radical surgical resection between January 2012 and December 2018 were retrospectively reviewed. Associations between clinicopathological factors and the incidence of LNM were investigated by univariate and multivariate linear regression analysis. Results: Retrospective statistical analysis was performed on 653 EGC patients. The multivariate linear regression analysis showed that the presence of LNM was significantly associated with depth of invasion (P<0.0001) and lymphatic invasion (P<0.001). The proportion of EGC patients met absolute and expanded indication of ESD with positive LNM who were subject to the criteria of curative resection was 0.75% (4/532) and 6.67% (8/120), respectively. LNM between patients, which were subject to the absolute and expanded ESD indication, is significantly different (P=0.000274). Conclusions: Our study revealed that 6.67% (8/120) of EGC patients who did not meet all criteria of curative resection were present with LNM. EGC patients with UL (+), differentiated adenocarcinoma, tumor invasion pathologically diagnosed as T1a, and tumor diameter ≤3 cm showed for ESD are suggested for a carefully weighed treatment.