Objective To access the efficacy and safety of Holmium laser prostatectomy technique compared to TURP. Methods We searched MEDLINE (1996 to 2004), EMBASE (1984 to 2004), The Cochrane Library (Issue 4, 2004), CNKI, VIP, CMCC and CBMdisc; and handsearched the relevant Chinese journals. Randomized controlled trials (RCT) were included. The quality of trials was evaluated and meta-analysis was performed. Non-randomized controlled trials were also included to evaluate the safety and efficacy. Results We found 4 randomized controlled trials. A total of 480 participants were in the trials ranging from 60 to 200. There was no statistical difference between the two techniques at 12 or 48 months follow-up in terms of quality of life (QOL) improvement（WMD=-0.19, 95%CI -0.81 to 0.44, Z=0.59, P=0.56; WMD=-0.30, 95%CI -0.90 to 0.30, Z=0.98, P=0.33); Qmax improvement（WMD=1.63 ml/s, 95%CI -0.32 to 3.59, Z=1.64, P=0.10; WMD=3.80 ml/s, 95%CI -1.36 to 8.96,Z=1.44, P=0.15); I-PSS or AUA (WMD=-0.06, 95%CI -1.01 to 0.89, Z=0.12, P=0.91; WMD=-1.40, 95%CI -3.91 to 1.11, Z=1.09, P=0.27) and the urethral stricture complication rate (RR=0.75, 95%CI 0.35 to 1.60, Z=0.74, P=0.46). However hospital stay was significantly shorter in the Holmium laser prostatectomy groups (total WMD=-24.89, 95%CI -28.56 to -21.21, Z=13.27, P＜0.000 01). We can not draw consistent conclusions in terms of blood loss according to the present data. One study indicated Holmium laser prostatectomy technique was more cost-effective than TURP. Conclusions In short period Holmium laser prostatectomy is as safe as TURP in terms of hospital stay, urethral stricture and blood loss complication. This new technique is as effiective as TURP in terms of I-PSS (AUA), Qmax and QOL. More RCTs and more long term follow-up is necessary.
ObjectiveTo investigate the relationship between the nucleotide binding oligomerization domain like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome and inflammatory reaction of venous ulcer of lower extremity.MethodsTwenty-four patients with active venous ulcer of lower extremity (active ulcer group), 24 patients with non exudative venous ulcer of lower extremity as positive control (non-active ulcer group), and 24 patients with traumatic wound as negative control (traumatic-wound group) were enrolled. The clinical data of the three groups were compared, the tissue samples around the wound were harvested, and the expressions of NLRP3 protein were detected by immunohistochemistry among the three groups. Enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to detect the IL-1β and IL-18 protein levels, RT-PCR was used to detect the mRNA expressions of apoptosis associated speck like protein containing CARD (ASC), caspase-1, c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK), p38, nuclear factor (NF)-κB p65 and NF-κB inhibitor alpha (NF-κB IkBα), and Western blotting was performed to evaluate the level of NLRP3 inflammasome in wound tissues.ResultsThe inflammatory response in the non-active ulcer group and trauma-wound group were milder than that in the active ulcer group. The levels of IL-1β and IL-18 proteins in the active ulcer group were higher than those in the non-active ulcer group and the traumatic-wound group [IL-1β: (146.621±11.597) ng/L vs. (80.967±14.213) ng/L vs. (84.962±19.484) ng/L, F=136.200, P<0.001; IL-18: (119.814±12.788) ng/L vs. (72.899±17.220) ng/L vs. (48.131±10.407) ng/L, F=167.910, P<0.001]. The results of RT-PCR showed that the mRNA expressions of ASC [(0.030±0.012) ng/L vs. (0.021±0.005) ng/L vs. (0.016±0.004) ng/L, F=18.106, P<0.001], caspase-1 [(0.054±0.012) ng/L vs. (0.013±0.009) ng/L vs. (0.018±0.006) ng/L, F=130.372, P<0.001], NF-κB p65 [(0.093±0.015) ng/L vs. (0.038±0.013) ng/L vs. (0.043±0.014) ng/L, F=110.950, P<0.001], NF-κB IkB-α [(0.085±0.015) ng/L vs. (0.078±0.015) ng/L vs. (0.041±0.016) ng/L, F=53.070, P<0.001], and JNK [(0.075±0.018) ng/L vs. (0.042±0.013) ng/L vs. (0.039±0.014) ng/L, F=41.271, P<0.001] in the wound tissues of the active ulcer group were higher than those in the non-active ulcer group and the traumatic-wound group. And the mRNA expression of p38 in the wound tissues of the active ulcer group was lower than that in the non-active ulcer group [(0.050±0.008) ng/L vs. (0.064±0.014) ng/L, P<0.05]. The result of Western blotting showed that the relative expression level of NLRP3 protein in the wound tissues of the active ulcer group was higher than that in the trauma-wound group and non-active ulcer group (0.767±0.272 vs. 0.605±0.212 vs. 0.556±0.183, F=4.804, P=0.012).ConclusionNLRP3 inflammasome is closely related to the wound in venous ulcer of lower extremity and provides a new target to the therapy of venous ulcer of lower extremity.