As an emerging technology, artificial intelligence (AI) uses human theory and technology for robots to study, develop, learn and identify human technologies. Thoracic surgeons should be aware of new opportunities that may affect their daily practice by the direct use of AI technology, or indirect use in the relevant medical fields (radiology, pathology, and respiratory medicine). The purpose of this paper is to review the application status and future development of AI associated with thoracic surgery, diagnosis of AI-related lung cancer, prognosis-assisted decision-making programs and robotic surgery. While AI technology has made rapid progress in many areas, the medical industry only accounts for a small part of AI use, and AI technology is gradually becoming widespread in the diagnosis, treatment, rehabilitation, and care of diseases. The future of AI is bright and full of innovative perspectives. The field of thoracic surgery has conducted valuable exploration and practice on AI, and will receive more and more influence and promotion from AI.
ObjectiveTo explore the relationship between the -2548 G/A functional polymorphism in the 5′ promoter region of the leptin gene and gallstones. Methods The -2548 G/A polymorphisms of leptin gene were determined by polymerase chain reactionrestriction fragment length polymorphism technology (PCRRFLP) in 118 patients with cholesterol gallstones and 53 normal control subjects. Then the allele and genotype distribution were studied. Results The distribution of leptin2458 G/A in two groups was statistically significantly different: the genotype frequency of AA+GA of patients in gallstone group was higher than that in control group (χ2=4.251, P=0.039). AA+AG genotype had 2.813 times greater risk for gallstone disease compared with GG genotype (OR=2.813, 95% CI=1.020-7.757). Allele frequency distribution in the two groups was different: the allele frequency of A of patients in gallstone group was higher than that in control group (χ2=5.791, P=0.016). The risk of gallstone disease in the A alleles carriers was 1.777 times as higher as the carriers of G alleles (OR=1.777, 95% CI=1.110-2.844). ConclusionThe -2548 G/A polymorphism in the 5′ promoter region of leptin gene is significantly correlated with the gallstones. The A alleles of leptin may be a genetic factor which contributes to individual susceptibility for gallstone, while the G alleles of leptin may be a genetic factor that prevents people from gallstone.
ObjectiveTo study the change and significance of the serum nitric oxide (NO) level in patient with obstructive jaundice complicated with renal dysfunction. MethodsThe level of NO, BUN, Cr in serum and the activity of NOS in 25 patients with obstructive jaundice and renal dysfunction and 26 healthy adults was studied.ResultsThe patients’ serum NO level and the activity of NOS were significantly lower than those in the control group(P＜0.01)，whereas the serum BUN and Cr levels were significantly higher than those in control group(P＜0.01). The linear correlation analysis showed that the serum NO had a negative correlation between serum BUN and Cr level (P＜0.01). ConclusionThe patients with obstructive jaundice and renal dysfunction may lead to the decrease of serum NO level. NO may have some protective effects to the renal function during obstructive jaundice.
ObjectiveTo evaluate the value of magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP) on prevention of the complications in laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC). MethodsThe clinical data of 1 079 patients underwent LC from January 2006 to June 2010 in this hospital were retrospectively analyzed. According to the use of MRCP or not in the different period, the patients were divided into nonMRCP group (n=523) and MRCP group (n=556). The occurrence of bile duct injuries (BDI) and retained common duct stone (RCDS) were compared between two groups. ResultsConversion to open surgery was performed in 35 cases in nonMRCP group and in 41 cases in MRCP group. The intraoperative and postoperative BDI were found in five patients and RCDS were found in 27 patients in nonMRCP group, and those were not found in patients in MRCP group. The differences of BDI and RCDS of patients were significant between two groups (P=0.026 and P=0.000). In nonMRCP group, 23 of 55 patients were found common bile duct stones by intraoperative cholangiography. Common bile duct stones were found by intraoperative cholangiography other than preoperative MRCP in three patients in MRCP group, while another three patients did not find common bile duct stones by intraoperative cholangiography although preoperative MRCP suggested. By MRCP, double gallbladders were found in one patient, Mirizzi syndrome in eight patients, variant cystic duct in 34 patients, accessory hepatic duct in 28 patients, and complicating common bile duct stones in 27 patients in MRCP group, the diagnostic accuracy of those were 100%, 87.5%, 94.1%, 89.3% and 88.9%, respectively. ConclusionPreoperative MRCP is helpful to prevent BDI and RCDS for the patients with LC.
Lung cancer is a disease with high incidence rate and high mortality rate worldwide. Its diagnosis and treatment mode is developing constantly. Among them, multi-disciplinary team (MDT) can provide more accurate diagnosis and more individualized treatment, which can not only benefit more early patients, but also prolong the survival time of late patients. However, MDT diagnosis and treatment mode is only carried out more in provincial and municipal tertiary hospitals and has not been popularized. This article intends to introduce MDT mode and its advantages, hoping that MDT mode can be popularized and applied.
Non-small cell lung cancer is the main cause of cancer death in the world, and its incidence is increasing year by year, seriously endangering human health. Early non-small cell lung cancer is generally difficult to be detected based on symptoms and signs. Therefore, accurate pathological diagnosis and accurate prediction of prognosis are crucial for formulating the best treatment plan for non-small cell lung cancer patients and improving their survival. The application of artificial intelligence in the diagnosis and treatment of non-small cell lung cancer has shown good performance and great potential effect. This paper introduces the research progress of artificial intelligence in predicting the classification, staging, genomics and prognosis of non-small cell lung cancer.
ObjectiveTo explore the efficiency of Ki-67 expression and CT imaging features in predicting the degree of invasion of lung adenocarcinoma. MethodsThe clinical data of 217 patients with pulmonary nodules, who were diagnosed as suspicious lung cancer by multi-disciplinary treatment clinic of pulmonary nodules in our hospital from September 2017 to August 2021, were retrospectively analyzed. There were 84 males and 133 females, aged 52 (25-84) years. The patients were divided into two groups according to the infiltration degree, including an adenocarcinoma in situ and microinvasive adenocarcinoma group (n=145) and an invasive adenocarcinoma group (n=72). ResultsThere was no statistical difference in the age and gender between the two groups (P>0.05). The univariate analysis showed that CK-7, P63, P40 and CK56 expressions were not different between the two groups (P=0.172, 0.468, 0.827, 0.313), while Napsin A, TTF-1 and Ki-67 expressions were statistically different (P=0.002, 0.020, <0.001). The multivariate analysis showed that Ki-67 expression was statistically different between the two groups (P<0.001). Ki-67 was positively correlated with malignant features of CT images and the degree of lung adenocarcinoma invasion (P<0.05). Ki-67 and CT imaging features alone could predict the degree of lung adenocarcinoma invasion, but their sensitivity and specificity were not high. Ki-67 combined with CT imaging features could achieve a higher prediction efficiency.ConclusionCompared with Ki-67 or CT imaging features alone, the combined prediction of Ki-67 and imaging features is more effective, which is of great significance for clinicians to select the appropriate operation occasion.
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of short, highly conserved, non-coding RNA molecules that regulate gene expression by specific binding to the messenger RNAs (mRNAs). At present, the researches on miRNAs have caused immense global concern, and expression of miR-139-5p plays a significant role in tumorigenesis, metastasis and recurrence, through regulating proliferation, migration, and invasion of cancer cells in lung cancer, esophageal cancer, breast cancer, tongue squamous cell carcinoma, hepatocellular carcinoma, etc. MiR-139-5p has a positive impact on the prognosis of cancer, and it can combine with some chemotherapeutic drugs to reverse resistance and enhance the sensitivity of radiotherapy. It also works in the cells and tissues of other diseases, including nerve cells, and inflammation. This article reviewed the progress of miR-139-5p.
ObjectiveTo investigate the relationship between primary pulmonary mucinous adenocarcinoma (PPMA) mass type and pneumonia type and the difference of malignant degree, and to analyze the role of clinical manifestations and CT features in the diagnosis of this disease. MethodsThe clinical data of PPMA patients admitted in the First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University from May 2011 to March 2022 were retrospectively analyzed. According to CT features, they were divided into a mass type group and a pneumonia type group. The clinical manifestations, CT features and the relationship between Ki-67 index and the degree of malignancy between the two groups were analyzed and compared, and the diagnostic ability of PPMA was enhanced. ResultsA total of 57 PPMA patients were enrolled. There were 17 males and 40 females, with an average age of 53.82±10.65 years, and 28 (49%) patients had reversed hato-like sign. There were statistically significant differences between the two groups in the maximum diameter of tumor, boundary condition and pleural indentation sign (P<0.05). There was no significant difference between the two groups in Ki-67% index and its high and low value-added groups (P>0.05). ConclusionThere is no significant difference in the degree of malignancy between the two types of PPMA, which supports that the pneumonia type is only the manifestation of the disease progression of the lump type. PPMA is more common in elderly women and often occurs in both lower lungs. The clinical manifestations are mainly cough and white mucinous sputum. CT scans can show various manifestations, among which the reversed hato-like sign is expected to become an important imaging feature. Combined with high solid fraction, pleural indentation sign, and vacuole sign, it can play a significant auxiliary role in its diagnosis.
ObjectiveTo explore the predictive value of CT signs of mixed ground-glass nodules in the pathological subtype and differentiation of lung adenocarcinoma. MethodsThe clinical data of 66 patients with mixed ground-glass nodules pathologically diagnosed as invasive adenocarcinoma (IAC) in the Second Department of Thoracic Surgery, the First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University from May to December 2021 were retrospectively analyzed, including 20 males and 46 females, aged 35-75 years. The CT findings were analyzed before operation, and the lesion profile was cut after operation to distinguish the ground-glass and solid components, and the pathological results of different positions were obtained. According to the postoperative pathological results, the patients were divided into a low-risk group (containing adherent type and no components of micropapillary subtype and solid subtype, n=16), a medium-risk group (containing niple or acinar type and no components of micropapillary subtype and solid subtype, n=38), and a high-risk group (containing micropapillary or solid subtype, n=12). The relationships between CT features and the pathological subtype and degree of differentiation were analyzed and compared. ResultsIn 66 patients with IAC, the infiltration degree of solid components was greater than that of ground-glass components. When the solid component ratio (CTR) was≥25% (sensitivity 90.2%, specificity 64.0%, P=0.005), and the average CT value was＞−283.95 HU (sensitivity 82.9%, specificity 64.0%, P=0.000), the histological grade was more inclined to medium and low differentiation. The CTR, Ki-67, average CT value and histological grade of IAC in the medium- and high-risk groups were higher than those of nodules in the low-risk group. ConclusionThe infiltration degree of solid components is higher than that of ground-glass components in IAC mixed ground-glass nodules. The pathological subtype, Ki-67 expression and histological grade of lung adenocarcinoma can be predicted according to its CT characteristics, which has important clinical significance for determining the timing of surgery.