Background: Effective methods for managing patients with solitary pulmonary nodules(SPNs) depend critically on the predictive probability of malignancy.Methods: Between July 2009 and June 2011, data on gender, age, cancer history, tumor familial history, smoking status, tumor location, nodule size, spiculation, calcification, the tumor border, and the final pathological diagnosis were collected retrospectively from 154 surgical patients with an SPN measuring 3-30 mm. Each final diagnosis was compared with the probability calculated by three predicted models—the Mayo, VA, and Peking University(PU) models. The accuracy of each model was assessed using area under the receiver operating characteristics(ROC) and calibration curves.Results: The area under the ROC curve of the PU model [0.800; 95% confidence interval(CI): 0.708-0.891] was higher than that of the Mayo model(0.753; 95% CI: 0.650-0.857) or VA model(0.728; 95% CI: 0.623-0.833); however, this finding was not statistically significant. To varying degrees, calibration curves showed that all three models overestimated malignancy.Conclusions: The three predicted models have similar accuracy for prediction of SPN malignancy, although the accuracy is not sufficient. For Chinese patients, the PU model may has greater predictive power.Background: Here, we introduced our short experience on the application of a new CUSA Excel ultrasonic aspiration system, which was provided by Integra Lifesciences corporation, in skull base meningiomas resection.Methods: Ten patients with anterior, middle skull base and sphenoid ridge meningioma were operated using the CUSA Excel ultrasonic aspiration system at the Neurosurgery Department of Shanghai Huashan Hospital from August 2014 to October 2014. There were six male and four female patients, aged from 38 to 61 years old(the mean age was 48.5 years old). Five cases with tumor located at anterior skull base, three cases with tumor on middle skull base, and two cases with tumor on sphenoid ridge.Results: All the patents received total resection of meningiomas with the help of this new tool, and the critical brain vessels and nerves were preserved during operations. All the patients recovered well after operation.Conclusions: This new CUSA Excel ultrasonic aspiration system has the advantage of preserving vital brain arteries and cranial nerves during skull base meningioma resection, which is very important for skull base tumor operations. This key step would ensure a well prognosis for patients. We hope the neurosurgeons would benefit from this kind of technique.Background: The purposes of this study were to explore the effects of high mobility group protein box 1(HMGB1) gene on the growth, proliferation, apoptosis, invasion, and metastasis of glioma cells, with an attempt to provide potential therapeutic targets for the treatment of glioma. Methods: The expressions of HMGB1 in glioma cells(U251, U-87 MG and LN-18) and one control cell line(SVG p12) were detected by real time PCR and Western blotting, respectively. Then, the effects of HMGB1 on the biological behaviors of glioma cells were detected: the expression of HMGB1 in human glioma cell lines U251 and U-87 MG were suppressed using RNAi technique, then the influences of HMGB1 on the viability, cycle, apoptosis, and invasion abilities of U251 and U-87 MG cells were analyzed using in a Transwell invasion chamber. Also, the effects of HMGB1 on the expressions of cyclin D1, Bax, Bcl-2, and MMP 9 were detected. Results: As shown by real-time PCR and Western blotting, the expression of HMGB1 significantly increased in glioma cells(U251, U-87 MG, and LN-18) in comparison with the control cell line(SVG p12); the vitality, proliferation and invasive capabilities of U251 and U-87 MG cells in the HMGB1 siR NA-transfected group were significantly lower than those in the blank control group and negative control(NC) siR NA group(P<0.05) but showed no significant difference between the blank control group and NC siR NA group. The percentage of apoptotic U251 and U-87 MG cells was significantly higher in the HMGB1 siR NA-transfected group than in the blank control group and NC siR NA group(P<0.05) but was similar between the latter two groups. The HMGB1 siR NA-transfected group had significantly lower expression levels of Cyclin D1, Bcl-2, and MMP-9 protein in U251 and U-87 MG cells and significantly higher expression of Bax protein than in the blank control group and NC siR NA group(P<0.05); the expression profiles of cyclin D1, Bax, Bcl-2, and MMP 9 showed no significant change in both blank control group and NC siR NA group. Conclusions: HMGB1 gene may promote the proliferation and migration of glioma cells and suppress its effects of apoptosis. Inhibition of the expression of HMGB1 gene can suppress the proliferation and migration of glioma cells and promote their apoptosis. Our observations provided a new target for intervention and treatment of glioma.
