Relationship between socioeconomic status and anemia prevalence in adolescent girls based on the fourth and fifth Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES

We studied the relationship between socioeconomic status (SES), represented by household income, and the prevalence of anemia and iron deficiency anemia (IDA) among adolescent girls in Korea.

SUBJECTS/METHODS

The samples were based on the data from a four-year (2008-2011) collection for the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (1312 girls, age 10-18 years). The survey included demographic, anthropometric, biochemical and nutritional parameters. A multiple regression analysis after adjusting for age, body mass index (BMI), red blood cell count, white blood cell count and red meat intake was performed. Anemia was defined as hemoglobin level lower than 11.5 g/dl for ages 10-11 years and 12.0 g/dl for ages 12-14 years. Iron deficiency was defined as serum ferritin level below 15 μg/l.

RESULTS

The prevalences of anemia and IDA in Korean girls were 5.3 and 4.2%, respectively. Girls with anemia were older, taller, weighed more, had higher BMI, had higher portion of menarche experience and consumed less red meat than girls without anemia. Girls with higher income had lower anemia prevalence and consumed more iron and vitamins. Logistic regression analysis showed a decreasing trend in anemia prevalence as household income increased. Correlation analysis demonstrated that there is a relationship between household income and serum hemoglobin and ferritin levels (P=0.003 and P=0.026, respectively).

CONCLUSIONS

Higher SES leads to lower prevalence of anemia and IDA in Korean adolescent girls. This may be due to the fact that higher SES individuals consume more iron and vitamin C.

Search for top squarks in R-parity-violating supersymmetry using three or more leptons and b-tagged jets

A search for anomalous production of events with three or more isolated leptons and bottom-quark jets produced in pp collisions at √s=8 TeV is presented. The analysis is based on a data sample corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 19.5 fb(-1) collected by the CMS experiment at the LHC in 2012. No excess above the standard model expectations is observed. The results are interpreted in the context of supersymmetric models with signatures that have low missing transverse energy arising from light top-squark pair production with R-parity-violating decays of the lightest supersymmetric particle. In two models with different R-parity-violating couplings, top squarks are excluded below masses of 1020 GeV and 820 GeV when the lightest supersymmetric particle has a mass of 200 GeV.

COT phosphorylates prolyl-isomerase Pin1 to promote tumorigenesis in breast cancer

Pin1, a conserved eukaryotic Peptidyl-prolyl cis/trans isomerase, has profound effects on numerous key-signaling molecules, and its deregulation contributes to disease, particularly cancer. Although Pin1-mediated prolyl isomerization is an essential and novel regulatory mechanism for protein phosphorylation, little is known about the upstream signaling pathway(s) that regulates Pin1 activity. Here, we identify MAP3K-related serine-threonine kinase (the gene encoding COT/Tpl2) as a kinase responsible for phosphorylation of Pin1 Ser16. COT interacts with and phosphorylates Pin1 on Ser16. Consequently, Pin1 Ser16 phosphorylation by COT increases cyclin D1 abundance and enhances tumorigenecity of MCF7 cells. In contrast, depletion of COT in MCF7 cells leads to downregulation of Pin1 Ser16 phosphorylation, which subsequently decrease cyclin D1 levels, inhibiting tumorigenecity of MCF7 cells. In a xenograft model, treatment of TKI, a COT inhibitor, and Juglone, a Pin1 inhibitor, abrogates tumor growth. In human breast cancer patients, immunohistochemical staining shows that Pin1 pSer16 levels are positively correlated with COT levels, providing strong evidence for an essential role of the COT/Pin1 axis in conveying oncogenic signals to promote aggressiveness in human breast cancer.

Searches for new physics using the tt¯ invariant mass distribution in pp collisions at √s=8 TeV

Searches for anomalous top quark-antiquark production are presented, based on pp collisions at √s=8 TeV. The data, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 19.7 fb(-1), were collected with the CMS detector at the LHC. The observed tt¯ invariant mass spectrum is found to be compatible with the standard model prediction. Limits on the production cross section times branching fraction probe, for the first time, a region of parameter space for certain models of new physics not yet constrained by precision measurements.

First Report of Anthracnose Caused by Colletotrichum sansevieriae on Sansevieria in Korea

Sansevieria, Sansevieria trifasciata Prain, is cultivated in greenhouses and is used as a potted interior foliage plant in Korea. In April 2012, several plants (cv. Moonshine) exhibiting typical anthracnose symptoms from a local nursery were sent to the plant clinic of Gyeonggi-Do Agricultural Research and Extension Services for diagnosis. The leaf lesions began as round, partly water-soaked, pale greenish to grayish spots, which enlarged and ultimately coalesced, resulting in severe leaf blight. Concentric rings of blackish acervuli were formed in the expanding lesions of mostly 2 to 4 cm in diameter. Acervuli were mostly epiphyllous, circular to ellipsoid. Setae were aseptate to 3-septate, dark brown at the base, paler upwards, acicular, and up to 180 μm long. Conidia (n = 30) were oblong-elliptical to obovate, sometimes fusiform-elliptical, guttulate, hyaline, and 14 to 24 × 5 to 7.5 μm (mean 18.6 × 6.4 μm). Hyphopodial appressoria were dark brown to blackish, globose to clavate in outline, and 5 to 12 × 4 to 8 μm. Colonies on potato dextrose agar (PDA) were grayish-white, felted with cottony-white aerial mycelium on a gray to olivaceous gray background in culture. Gelatinous salmon- to orange-colored conidial masses were produced abundantly after one week's incubation. The morphological and cultural characteristics of the fungus were consistent with the description of Colletotrichum sansevieriae M. Nakamura & M. Ohzono (2,3). A voucher specimen was deposited in the Korea University herbarium (KUS-F26637). An isolate was deposited in the Korean Agricultural Culture Collection (Accession No. KACC46835). Fungal DNA was extracted with DNeasy Plant Mini DNA Extraction Kits (Qiagen Inc., Valencia, CA). The complete internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region of rDNA was amplified with the primers ITS1/ITS4 and sequenced. The resulting 569-bp sequences were deposited in GenBank (Accession No. KC847065). A BLAST search in GenBank exhibited 100% nucleotide identity with sequence of C. sansevieriae (JF911349) from the United States and >99% similarity with that of HQ433226 from Australia. To confirm pathogenicity, inoculum was prepared by harvesting conidia from 3-week-old cultures on PDA. A conidial suspension (2 × 10⁶ conidia/ml) was sprayed over the five leaves of sansevieria 'Moonshine' wounded with a fine needle. Five leaves sprayed with sterile water served as controls. Plants were covered with plastic bags to maintain 100% relative humidity for 48 h and then kept in a greenhouse (22 to 28°C and 70 to 80% RH). Within 12 days, symptoms identical to those observed in originally infected leaf developed on all inoculated leaves. No symptoms were observed on control plants. C. sansevieriae was reisolated from the lesions of inoculated plants, fulfilling Koch's postulates. Sansevieria anthracnose associated with C. sansevieriae has been reported in Japan (2), Australia (1), and the United States (3). To our knowledge, this is the first report of sansevieria anthracnose in Korea. Our observations in sansevieria nurseries suggest that preventing wound infection as well as maintaining good plant hygiene in greenhouses might be main strategies for this disease. References: (1) R. Aldaoud et al. Australas. Plant Dis. Notes 6:60, 2011. (2) M. Nakamura et al. J. Gen. Plant Pathol. 72:253, 2006. (3) A. J. Palmateer et al. Plant Dis. 96:293, 2012.

Directly deposited quantum dot solids using a colloidally stable nanoparticle ink

We develop a photovoltaic colloidal quantum dot ink that allows for lossless, single-step coating of large areas in a manufacturing-compatible process. Our materials strategy involves a solution-phase ligand exchange to transport compatible linkers that yield 1-thioglycerol-capped PbS quantum dots in dimethyl sulfoxide with a photoluminescence quantum yield of 24%. A proof-of-principle solar cell made from the ink exhibits 2.1% power conversion efficiency.

Doping control via molecularly engineered surface ligand coordination

A means to control the net doping of a CQD solid is identified via the design of the bidentate ligand crosslinking the material. The strategy does not rely on implementing different atmospheres at different steps in device processing, but instead is a robust strategy implemented in a single processing ambient. We achieve an order of magnitude difference in doping that allows us to build a graded photovoltaic device and maintain high current and voltage at maximum power-point conditions.

Comparison of the large-scale periplasmic proteomes of the Escherichia coli K-12 and B strains

Escherichia coli typically secretes many proteins into the periplasmic space, and the periplasmic proteins have been used for the secretory production of various proteins by the biotechnology industry. However, the identity of all of the E. coli periplasmic proteins remains unknown. Here, high-resolution periplasmic proteome reference maps of the E. coli K-12 and B strains were constructed and compared. Of the 145 proteins identified by tandem mass spectrometry, 61 proteins were conserved in the two strains, whereas 11 and 12 strain-specific proteins were identified for the E. coli K-12 and B strains, respectively. In addition, 27 proteins exhibited differences in intensities greater than 2-fold between the K-12 and B strains. The periplasmic proteins MalE and OppA were the most abundant proteins in the two E. coli strains. Distinctive differences between the two strains included several proteins that were caused by genetic variations, such as CybC, FliC, FliY, KpsD, MglB, ModA, and Ybl119, hydrolytic enzymes, particularly phosphatases, glycosylases, and proteases, and many uncharacterized proteins. Compared to previous studies, the localization of many proteins, including 30 proteins for the K-12 strain and 53 proteins for the B strain, was newly identified as periplasmic. This study identifies the largest number of proteins in the E. coli periplasm as well as the dynamics of these proteins. Additionally, these findings are summarized as reference proteome maps that will be useful for studying protein secretion and may provide new strategies for the enhanced secretory production of recombinant proteins.

Isolated cervical lymph node sarcoidosis presenting in an asymptomatic neck mass: a case report

Sarcoidosis, a systemic granulomatous disease of unknown etiology. The presentation of sarcoidal granuloma in neck nodes without typical manifestations of systemic sarcoidosis is difficult to diagnose. We describe the case of a 37-year-old woman with an increasing mass on the right side of neck. The excisional biopsy from the neck mass showed noncaseating epithelioid cell granuloma of the lymph nodes. No evidence of mycobacterial or fungal infection was noted. Thoracic evaluations did not show enlargement of mediastinal lymph nodes or parenchymal abnormalities. Immunohistochemistry showed abundant expression of tumor necrosis factor-α in the granuloma. However, transforming growth factor-β was not expressed, although interleukin-1β was focally expressed. These immunohistochemical findings supported characterization of the granuloma and the diagnosis of sarcoidosis. Sarcoidosis can present with cervical lymph node enlargement without mediastinal or lung abnormality. Immunohistochemistry may support the diagnosis of sarcoidosis and characterization of granuloma.

Polyethylene glycol bowel preparation does not eliminate the risk of acute renal failure: a population-based case-crossover study

BACKGROUND AND STUDY AIMS

Polyethylene glycol (PEG) bowel preparations are regarded as effective and safe for colonoscopy; however, recent reports have indicated a risk of acute renal failure (ARF). This population-based case-crossover study evaluated the association between PEG and ARF in screening colonoscopy patients aged ≥ 50 years.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Korean Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service (HIRA) claims data from 1 January 2005 to 31 December 2009 were used in the study. The study population consisted of patients aged ≥ 50 years who were first hospitalized for ARF following colonoscopy involving PEG bowel preparation. For each patient, PEG use in a 1-, 2-, or 4-week period prior to the first hospital admission date for ARF (hazard period) was compared with PEG use in four earlier 1-, 2-, or 4-week control periods. Conditional logistic regression analysis was used to estimate odds ratios (ORs) and 95 % confidence intervals (CIs), adjusting for concomitant medications that could induce ARF.

RESULTS

The total number of study patients was 1064 (59 % were male). A greater proportion of patients used PEG during the hazard period than during the control periods (for 4-week time window: 8.8 % vs. 3.2 %). The adjusted ORs for ARF incidence when applying the 1-, 2-, and 4-week periods were 3.1 (95 %CI 2.06 - 4.73), 2.5 (95 %CI 1.76 - 3.53), and 2.1 (95 %CI 1.61 - 4.85), respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

The use of PEG was associated with the risk of ARF. Adequate hydration and renal function monitoring should be assured before and after colonoscopy, regardless of the bowel preparation regimen used.

Novel method of producing nanoparticles for gadolinium-scintillator-based digital radiography

Radiation image sensor properties affect the dose of radiation that patients are exposed to in a clinical setting. Numerous radiation imaging systems use scintillators as materials that absorb radiation. Rare-earth scintillators produced from elements such as gadolinium, yttrium, lutetium, and lanthanum have been investigated to improve the properties of radiation imaging systems. Although such rare-earth scintillators are manufactured with a bulk structure, they exhibit low resolution and low efficiency when they are used as conversion devices. Nanoscintillators have been proposed and researched as a possible solution to these problems. According to the research, the optical properties and size of fine scintillators are affected by the sintering temperature used to produce nanoscintillators instead of the existing bulk-structured scintillators. Therefore, the main purpose of this research is to develop radiation-imaging sensors based on nanoscintillators in order to evaluate the quantitative properties of various scintillators produced under various conditions such as sintering temperature. This is accomplished by measuring acquired phantom images, and modulation transfer functions (MTFs) for complementary-symmetry metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) image sensors under the same X-ray conditions. Low-temperature solution combustion was used to produce fine scintillators consisting of 5 wt% of europium as an activator dopant in a Gd2O3 scintillator host. Variations in the characteristics of the fine scintillators were investigated. The characteristics of fine scintillators produced at various sintering temperatures (i.e., 600, 800, or 1000 degrees C) and with a europium concentration of 0.5 wt% were also analyzed to determine the optimal conditions for synthesizing the fine scintillators.

First Report of Powdery Mildew Caused by Erysiphe cruciferarum on Indian Mustard (Brassica juncea) in Korea

Indian mustard (Brassica juncea (L.) Czern.) belongs in the Brassicaceae and is widely cultivated in Korea for the edible leaves. In May 2011, Indian mustard plants of cv. Cheong-Kyeoja, growing in polyethylene-film-covered greenhouses in Hwaseong, Korea, were observed to be affected by a powdery mildew. Symptoms appeared as circular to irregular white colonies, which subsequently showed abundant hyphal growth on both leaf surfaces. Severely infected plants were unmarketable due to leaf discoloration, and most were not harvested. Voucher specimens have been deposited in the Korea University Herbarium (KUS). Appressoria on the mycelium were well developed, lobed, solitary, or in opposite pairs. Conidiophores were cylindrical, 70 to 115 × 8 to 10 μm, and composed of 3 to 4 cells. Foot-cells of conidiophores were straight to substraight, cylindrical, and relatively short (20 to 30 μm long). Singly-produced conidia were oblong to cylindrical or oval, 27.5 to 50 × 14 to 17.5 μm with a length/width ratio of 1.8 to 3.6, with angular/rectangular wrinkling of outer walls, and lacked distinct fibrosin bodies. Germ tubes were produced in the perihilar position of conidia. No chasmothecia were found. These structures are typical of the powdery mildew Pseudoidium anamorph of the genus Erysiphe. The specific measurements and characteristics were consistent with previous records of Erysiphe cruciferarum Opiz ex L. Junell (1). To confirm the identification, the complete internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region of rDNA of KUS-F24819 was amplified with primers ITS5 and P3 (4), and sequenced directly. The resulting 462-bp sequence was deposited in GenBank (Accession No. KC862331). A GenBank BLAST search of the ITS sequence showed 100% identity (462/462 bp) with those of isolates of E. cruciferarum from B. oleracea var. acephala, B. rapa, and Arabidopsis thaliana (GU721075, EU140958, and FJ548627, respectively). Pathogenicity was confirmed through inoculation by gently dusting conidia onto leaves of five healthy, potted Indian mustard plants of the cv. Cheong-Kyeoja. Five non-inoculated plants served as a control treatment. Inoculated plants were isolated from non-inoculated plants in separate rooms in a greenhouse at 18 to 24°C. Inoculated plants developed symptoms after 7 days, whereas the control plants remained symptomless. The fungus present on the inoculated plants was identical morphologically to that originally observed on the diseased plants, fulfilling Koch's postulates. There are records of E. cruciferarum infecting B. juncea in Europe (Finland, Romania, Sweden, Switzerland), the former Soviet Union, Australia, South Africa, and Asia (India, Japan, and China) (2,3). To our knowledge, this is the first report of powdery mildew caused by E. cruciferarum on B. juncea in Korea. Occurrence of powdery mildew is a threat to quality and marketability of this crop, especially those grown in organic farming where chemical control options are limited. References: (1) U. Braun and R. T. A. Cook. Taxonomic Manual of the Erysiphales (Powdery Mildews), CBS Biodiversity Series No. 11. CBS, Utrecht, 2012. (2) D. F. Farr and A. Y. Rossman. Fungal Databases, Syst. Mycol. Microbiol. Lab., Online publication. USDA ARS. Retrieved 20 March 2013. (3) P. Kaur et al. Plant Dis. 92:650, 2008. (4) S. Takamatsu et al. Mycol. Res. 113:117, 2009.

25th anniversary article: Colloidal quantum dot materials and devices: a quarter-century of advances

Colloidal quantum dot (CQD) optoelectronics offers a compelling combination of low-cost, large-area solution processing, and spectral tunability through the quantum size effect. Since early reports of size-tunable light emission from solution-synthesized CQDs over 25 years ago, tremendous progress has been made in synthesis and assembly, optical and electrical properties, materials processing, and optoelectronic applications of these materials. Here some of the major developments in this field are reviewed, touching on key milestones as well as future opportunities.

Adrenal venous sampling for stratifying patients for surgery of adrenal nodules detected using dynamic contrast enhanced CT

PURPOSE

We aimed to assess the value of adrenal venous sampling (AVS) for diagnosing primary aldosteronism (PA) subtypes in patients with a unilateral nodule detected on adrenal computed tomography (CT) and scheduled for adrenalectomy.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This retrospective study included 80 consecutive patients with PA undergoing CT and AVS. Different lateralization indices were assessed, and a cutoff established using receiver operating characteristic curve analysis. The value of CT alone versus CT with AVS for differentiating PA subtypes was compared. The adrenalectomy outcome was assessed, and predictors of cure were determined using univariate analysis.

RESULTS

AVS was successful in 68 patients. A cortisol-corrected aldosterone affected-to-unaffected ratio cutoff of 2.0 and affected-to-inferior vena cava ratio cutoff of 1.4 were the best lateralization indices, with accuracies of 82.5% and 80.4%, respectively. CT and AVS diagnosed 38 patients with aldosterone-producing adenomas, five patients with unilateral adrenal hyperplasia, and 25 patients with bilateral adrenal hyperplasia. Of the 52 patients with a nodule detected on CT, subsequent AVS diagnosed bilateral adrenal hyperplasia in 14 patients (27%). Compared to the results of combining CT with AVS, the accuracy of CT alone for diagnosing aldosterone-producing adenomas was 71.1% (P < 0.001). The cure rate for hypertension after adrenalectomy was 39.2%, with improvement in 53.5% of patients. On univariate analysis, predictors of persistent hypertension were male gender and preoperative systolic blood pressure.

CONCLUSION

To avoid inappropriate surgery, AVS is necessary for diagnosing unilateral nodules with aldosterone hypersecretion detected by CT.

Enhanced efficiency of single and tandem organic solar cells incorporating a diketopyrrolopyrrole-based low-bandgap polymer by utilizing combined ZnO/polyelectrolyte electron-transport layers

Power conversion efficiency up to 8.6% is achieved for a solution-processed tandem solar cell based on a diketopyrrolopyrrole-containing polymer as the low-bandgap material after using a thin polyelectrolyte layer to modify the electron-transport ZnO layers, indicating that interfacial engineering is a useful approach to further enhancing the efficiency of tandem organic solar cells.

Measurement of the Bs(0)→μ+ μ- branching fraction and search for B(0)→μ+ μ- with the CMS experiment

Results are presented from a search for the rare decays Bs(0)→μ+ μ- and B(0)→μ+ μ- in pp collisions at sqrt[s]=7 and 8 TeV, with data samples corresponding to integrated luminosities of 5 and 20  fb(-1), respectively, collected by the CMS experiment at the LHC. An unbinned maximum-likelihood fit to the dimuon invariant mass distribution gives a branching fraction B(Bs(0)→μ+ μ-)=(3.0(-0.9)(+1.0))×10(-9), where the uncertainty includes both statistical and systematic contributions. An excess of Bs(0)→μ+ μ- events with respect to background is observed with a significance of 4.3 standard deviations. For the decay B(0)→μ+ μ- an upper limit of B(B(0)→μ+ μ-)<1.1×10(-9) at the 95% confidence level is determined. Both results are in agreement with the expectations from the standard model.

Use of Kirschner wires with eyelets for tension band wiring of olecranon fractures

PURPOSE

To evaluate the clinical and radiographic outcomes of tension band wiring of displaced olecranon fractures treated using Kirschner wires with eyelets to assess their clinical performance with respect to complications such as backing out of the K-wires, restriction of forearm rotation, and neurovascular injury.

METHODS

The authors retrospectively reviewed 44 patients treated for an isolated, displaced olecranon fracture and checked range of motion, postoperative pain, complications, and incidence of hardware removal. The mean follow-up period was 41 months (range, 26-73 mo).

RESULTS

All fractures united, and anatomical reduction was achieved in all cases at final follow-up. Mean elbow flexion was 135° (range, 115° to 140°), and mean elbow extension was 4° (range, 0° to 15°). No pin migration, restriction of forearm rotation, or neurovascular injury occurred. Hardware removal was performed in 8 cases (18%). Compared to previous results with conventional Kirschner wires, no meaningful improvement in postoperative pain level or in the rate of hardware removal was observed.

CONCLUSIONS

Tension band wiring using the pin studied produced excellent clinical and radiologic outcomes for the treatment of isolated, displaced Mayo type IIA and some type IIB olecranon fractures. The pin was effective in preventing the backing out of Kirschner wires and avoiding the complications associated with anterior cortical engagement of Kirschner wires, such as neurovascular injury or restriction of forearm rotation.

Inclusive search for supersymmetry using razor variables in pp collisions at √s=7 TeV

An inclusive search is presented for new heavy particle pairs produced in √s=7 TeV proton-proton collisions at the LHC using 4.7±0.1 fb(-1) of integrated luminosity. The selected events are analyzed in the 2D razor space of M(R), an event-by-event indicator of the heavy particle mass scale, and R, a dimensionless variable related to the missing transverse energy. The third-generation sector is probed using the event heavy-flavor content. The search is sensitive to generic supersymmetry models with minimal assumptions about the superpartner decay chains. No excess is observed in the number of events beyond that predicted by the standard model. Exclusion limits are derived in the CMSSM framework as well as for simplified models. Within the CMSSM parameter space considered, gluino masses up to 800 GeV and squark masses up to 1.35 TeV are excluded at 95% confidence level depending on the model parameters. The direct production of pairs of top or bottom squarks is excluded for masses as high as 400 GeV.

Disruption of oral sensory relay to brain increased anxiety- and depression-like behaviours in rats

OBJECTIVE

Sensory information plays an important role to determine psycho-emotional behaviours of individuals. Lingual nerve can be damaged by dental surgery or trauma, such as physical irritation, radiation, chemotherapy, or viral infection. This study was conducted to examine the psycho-emotional effects of lingual nerve damage in which oral sensory relay to the brain is disrupted.

DESIGN

Male Sprague-Dawley rats were tested for anxiety and depression-related behaviours after bilateral transections of the lingual and chorda tympani nerves (Nx) or sham operation. Tissue contents of serotonin and its metabolite in the hippocampus, hypothalamus, and nucleus accumbens were analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography.

RESULTS

Sucrose preference was reduced in Nx rats compared with sham rats, suggesting the development of anhedonia, decreased pleasure seeking behaviour, by the lingual nerves transection. Ambulatory activity was decreased, anxiety-related behaviours during the activity test increased, time spent in the open arms during elevated plus maze test decreased, and immobility duration during forced swim test increased in Nx rats compared with sham rats. Serotonin level in the hippocampus of Nx rats was decreased significantly compared with sham rats.

CONCLUSIONS

Results suggest that aberration of oral sensory relay to brain may lead to the development of depression- and anxiety-related disorders, and decreased serotonergic neurotransmission in the hippocampus may play a role in its underlying mechanism.

The emerging role of salvage esophagectomy

The role of surgery and other treatment options for esophageal cancer continue to evolve. As more patients receive definitive chemoradiotherapy, salvage esophagectomy has emerged as an important treatment for local and regional failure. Although initial reports found high morbidity and mortality, more recent studies have found improvements in both perioperative complications and long term survival following salvage resection. We review the emerging role of salvage esophagectomy.