In multi electron beam systems, "Neighbours Matter"

In the Multi beam source (MBS) of our Multi Beam Scanning Electron Microscope (MBSEM), an aperture lens array (ALA) splits the emission cone of the Schottky field emitter into multiple beamlets. When the apertures in the ALA are close to each other, the ALA can introduce aberrations to these beamlets through the electrostatic interaction of neighbouring apertures with each aperture's lens field. When the apertures are arranged in a square grid pattern, the aberration causes fourfold astigmatism. The effect on the beam spot is analyzed through a combination of 3D simulations and experimental validation. To counterbalance the fourfold astigmatism, a correction scheme is proposed in which a slightly non-round profile is applied to the aperture lenses.

EVALUATION OF PRE-ABLATION NLR AND LMR AS PREDICTORS OF DISTANT METASTASES IN PATIENTS WITH DIFFERENTIATED THYROID CANCER

Objective

This research aim was to evaluates the role of the pre-ablation neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio (LMR) as predictors of distant metastases in patients with differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC).

Methods

A retrospective analysis was given to 140 patients with DTC who received 131I remnant ablation after surgery. The patients were divided into two groups based on the existence of distant metastasis.

Results

The two groups showed no significant difference in age, gender, WBCs, neutrophils, monocytes, eosinophils, basophils and whether the tumor was multifocal. In the univariate analysis, significant differences were found in tumor size (p=0.021), lymphocyte (p=0.012), NLR (p=0.027), and LMR (p=0.007). According to the ROC curves, NLR had an AUC of 0.612 ± 0.097 with a cut-off value of 1.845, sensitivity of 60.0%, and specificity of 66.2% (p=0.027). LMR had an AUC of 0.638 ± 0.095 with a cut-off value of 4.630, sensitivity of 84.6%, and specificity of 35.4% (p=0.007). In the multivariate analysis, larger tumor size (OR=5.246, 95% CI 1.269-10.907, p=0.009) and higher NLR (OR=2.087, 95% CI 0.977-4.459, p=0.034) were statistically significant for distant metastases.

Conclusion

This research reveals that pre-ablation NLR and tumor size are significantly statistically correlated with distant metastases in patients with DTC.

[Effection of tear film stability on orthokeratology]

Orthokeratology (Ortho-K) is one of the effective methods to control the development of myopia in children and adolescents. The mechanical pressure of eyelids on the Ortho-K lens and the hydraulic effect of tears under the Ortho-K lens can alter the curvature or shape of the cornea, which can correct refractive error and control myopia development progress. The tear film is a thin layer of liquids evenly distributing in the conjunctival sac. Wearing an Ortho-K lens can decrease the tear film stability, which will influence the Ortho-K. In this article, the relevant domestic and overseas research results are summarized and analyzed, aiming to sort out and discuss the effection of tear film stability on the fitting, shaping, safety, and visual quality of the Ortho-K, as well as to provide suggestions for clinicians and researchers.

Primary diffuse Rosai-Dorfman disease in central airway: a case report and literature review

BACKGROUND

Rosai-Dorfman disease (RDD) is a rare benign non-langerhans cell histiocytosis, mainly involving lymph nodes and skin. It is even rarer occurring only in central airway of lung and in diffuse form. Central airway RDD is similar to malignant tumor in imaging by radiological method and in bronchoscopy features. It is difficult to differentiate it from primary airway malignant tumor and to diagnose correctively in time.

CASE PRESENTATION

Here we present a rare case of 18-year-old male diagnosed with primary diffuse RDD in central airway. Although the features examined by enhanced chest computed tomography, positron emission tomography/computed tomography, diffusion-weighted imaging of enhanced chest MRI and bronchoscopy indicate to be malignant tumor, the patient was definitely confirmed by multiple transbronchial biopsies and immunohistochemistry. After two transbronchial resections, the patient's symptoms of paroxysmal cough, whistle sound and shortness of breath were significantly reduced, as well as the airway stenosis was significantly improved. After 5 months of follow-up, the patient had no symptoms and the central airway were unobstructed.

CONCLUSIONS

Primary diffuse RDD in central airway is characterized by intratracheal neoplasm, which is usually suspected as malignant tumor according to radiological image and bronchoscopy. Pathology and immunohistochemistry are necessary for definite diagnosis. Transbronchial resection is effective and safe for patients with primary diffuse RDD in central airway.

Synchronous Fabrication of Custom One-piece Glass Fiber Post-and-core and Zirconia Crown by a Fully Digital Workflow

Combined crown and post-and-core treatment often requires multiple intermittent appointments and takes a long time. This article describes a novel method for simultaneously fabricating a custom glass fiber post-and-core and the corresponding crown. The critical step, defined as a post-and-core virtual try-in, is to construct a virtual crown abutment that mimics the profile of a real one gained after post-cementation and tooth preparation. The fully digital workflow optimizes the treatment and saves time by accomplishing restorations on the first visit.

Application value of high-frequency ultrasonography in endoscopic retrograde appendicitis therapy for pediatric acute appendicitis

BACKGROUND

Endoscopic retrograde appendicitis therapy (ERAT) is a new method of treating acute appendicitis that has emerged in recent years in children, but the application of radiological examination in the diagnosis and treatment of pediatric diseases is greatly limited. Therefore, high-frequency ultrasonography imaging has attracted more and more attention because of its advantages such as non-invasiveness, no radiation, and a simpler procedure. This study aims to explore the application value of high-frequency ultrasonography in ERAT for pediatric acute appendicitis.

METHODS

A retrospective analysis was conducted on 136 children admitted to our hospital from January 2020 to October 2021 who were definitively diagnosed with acute appendicitis and underwent endoscopic retrograde intra-appendiceal irrigation treatment under the guidance of high-frequency ultrasonography. They were divided into the preschool age group (< 6 years) and school age group (≥ 6 years) according to age. Before the operation and at 1-2 days after ERAT, the external diameter of the appendix, as well as the thickness of the intestinal wall, mucosal layer, and muscular layer in each group were measured by high-frequency ultrasonography and recorded in detail. During the operation, a stent was placed under real-time guidance, and the situation in the cavity was observed. The clinical data of the two groups of children before and after the operation were collected, and the recurrence status after treatment was followed up.

RESULTS

Endoscopic treatment was completed in 131 patients with a success rate of 96.32%. There was no significant difference between the two groups in appendix diameter, intestinal wall, or muscular layer after the operation when compared to those before the operation (p > 0.05), but there was a significant difference in the mucosal thickness after operation when compared to before the operation (p < 0.05). Abdominal pain in the two groups was significantly relieved immediately after the operation, and the white blood cell count returned to normal, with a significant difference before and after the ERAT operation (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

Endoscopic intra-appendiceal irrigation under the guidance of high-frequency ultrasonography is a real-time and convenient method that is safe and effective in treating pediatric acute appendicitis.

Quantification of patient-specific coronary material properties and their correlations with plaque morphological characteristics: An in vivo IVUS study

BACKGROUND

A method using in vivo Cine IVUS and VH-IVUS data has been proposed to quantify material properties of coronary plaques. However, correlations between plaque morphological characteristics and mechanical properties have not been studied in vivo.

METHOD

In vivo Cine IVUS and VH-IVUS data were acquired at 32 plaque cross-sections from 19 patients. Six morphological factors were extracted for each plaque. These samples were categorized into healthy vessel, fibrous plaque, lipid-rich plaque and calcified plaque for comparisons. Three-dimensional thin-slice models were constructed using VH-IVUS data to quantify in vivo plaque material properties following a finite element updating approach by matching Cine IVUS data. Effective Young's moduli were calculated to represent plaque stiffness for easy comparison. Spearman's rank correlation analysis was performed to identify correlations between plaque stiffness and morphological factor. Kruskal-Wallis test with Bonferroni correction was used to determine whether significant differences in plaque stiffness exist among four plaque groups.

RESULT

Our results show that lumen circumference change has a significantly negative correlation with plaque stiffness (r = -0.7807, p = 0.0001). Plaque burden and calcification percent also had significant positive correlations with plaque stiffness (r = 0.5105, p < 0.0272 and r = 0.5312, p < 0.0193) respectively. Among the four categorized groups, calcified plaques had highest stiffness while healthy segments had the lowest.

CONCLUSION

There is a close link between plaque morphological characteristics and mechanical properties in vivo. Plaque stiffness tends to be higher as coronary atherosclerosis advances, indicating the potential to assess plaque mechanical properties in vivo based on plaque compositions.

Combining IVUS + OCT Data, Biomechanical Models and Machine Learning Method for Accurate Coronary Plaque Morphology Quantification and Cap Thickness and Stress/Strain Index Predictions

Assessment and prediction of vulnerable plaque progression and rupture risk are of utmost importance for diagnosis, management and treatment of cardiovascular diseases and possible prevention of acute cardiovascular events such as heart attack and stroke. However, accurate assessment of plaque vulnerability assessment and prediction of its future changes require accurate plaque cap thickness, tissue component and structure quantifications and mechanical stress/strain calculations. Multi-modality intravascular ultrasound (IVUS), optical coherence tomography (OCT) and angiography image data with follow-up were acquired from ten patients to obtain accurate and reliable plaque morphology for model construction. Three-dimensional thin-slice finite element models were constructed for 228 matched IVUS + OCT slices to obtain plaque stress/strain data for analysis. Quantitative plaque cap thickness and stress/strain indices were introduced as substitute quantitative plaque vulnerability indices (PVIs) and a machine learning method (random forest) was employed to predict PVI changes with actual patient IVUS + OCT follow-up data as the gold standard. Our prediction results showed that optimal prediction accuracies for changes in cap-PVI (C-PVI), mean cap stress PVI (meanS-PVI) and mean cap strain PVI (meanSn-PVI) were 90.3% (AUC = 0.877), 85.6% (AUC = 0.867) and 83.3% (AUC = 0.809), respectively. The improvements in prediction accuracy by the best combination predictor over the best single predictor were 6.6% for C-PVI, 10.0% for mean S-PVI and 8.0% for mean Sn-PVI. Our results demonstrated the potential using multi-modality IVUS + OCT image to accurately and efficiently predict plaque cap thickness and stress/strain index changes. Combining mechanical and morphological predictors may lead to better prediction accuracies.

Sex-specific metabolic risk factors and their trajectories towards the non-alcoholic fatty liver disease incidence

PURPOSE

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a common chronic liver disease. This study examined sex-specific associations between NAFLD and metabolic factors and investigated the trajectory of risk factors.

METHODS

We retrospectively investigated 16,140 individuals from Beijing Health Management Cohort. Univariate and multivariate time-dependent Cox regression analyses were performed to identify independent risk factors for new-onset NAFLD. The trajectory of risk factors was investigated using the latent growth curve model and growth mixture model.

RESULTS

Over a median follow-up of 3.15 years, 2,450 (15.18%) participants developed NAFLD. The risk factors for NAFLD in men were increased body mass index (BMI); waist circumference (WC); triglyceride (TG), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), haemoglobin (Hb), and serum uric acid (SUA) levels; and platelet (PLT) count and decreased serum creatinine-to-body weight (sCr/bw) and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) levels. In women, the risk factors were increased BMI, WC, and fasting plasma glucose (FPG), TG, LDL-C, SUA, white blood cell (WBC), and PLT and decreased sCr/bw and HDL-C levels. In addition, BMI, LDL-C, sCr/bw and PLT changing trajectories were associated with NAFLD in men; BMI, WC, TG, LDL-C, SUA and sCr/bw trends was associated with NAFLD risk in women.

CONCLUSIONS

Development of NAFLD is associated with BMI, LDL-C, sCr/bw and PLT changing trajectories in men; BMI, WC, TG, LDL-C, SUA and sCr/bw trends are associated an increased risk of NAFLD in women. Deterioration of metabolic risk factors status can be a predictor of NAFLD many years before its occurrence.

Thrombectomy Using the EmboTrap Clot-Retrieving Device for the Treatment of Acute Ischemic Stroke: A Glimpse of Clinical Evidence

BACKGROUND

The EmboTrap Recanalization Device is a novel stent retriever for thrombectomy in the setting of acute ischemic stroke due to large-vessel occlusion.

PURPOSE

Our aim was to summarize the safety and efficacy of the EmboTrap Recanalization Device in acute ischemic stroke-large-vessel occlusion through a systematic review and meta-analysis.

DATA SOURCES

Medline, EMBASE, the Cochrane Library, Web of Science, and Google Scholar were searched up to April 2022.

STUDY SELECTION

Nine observational studies using the EmboTrap Recanalization Device were selected.

DATA ANALYSIS

We adapted effect size with 95% CIs for dichotomous data. P value <.05 was statistically significant.

DATA SYNTHESIS

The estimated rate of successful recanalization (modified TICI 2b-3) was 90% (95% CI, 86%-95%; I ² = 82.4%); 90-day favorable outcome (mRS 0-2), 53% (95% CI, 42%-63%; I ² = 88.6%); modified first-pass effect, 43% (95% CI, 35%-51%; I ² = 63.7%); and first-pass effect, 36% (95% CI, 29%-46%; I ² = 10.7%). The rate of any intracerebral hemorrhage was 19% (95% CI, 16%-22%; I ² = 0.0%); symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage, 5% (95% CI, 1%-8%; I ² = 84.6%); and 90-day mortality, 14% (95% CI, 9%-19%; I ² = 79.3%). Subgroup analysis showed higher rates of complete recanalization for EmboTrap II than for the EmboTrap System.

LIMITATIONS

The included studies are single-arm without direct comparison with other stent retrievers. Some of the studies recruited had a small sample size and were limited by the retrospective study design. In addition, the uncertain heterogeneity among studies was high.

CONCLUSIONS

The EmboTrap Recanalization Device is safe and efficient in treating acute ischemic stroke due to large-vessel occlusion.

Using inflammatory index to distinguish asthma, asthma-COPD overlap and COPD: A retrospective observational study

BACKGROUND

Although asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are two well-defined and distinct diseases, some patients present combined clinical features of both asthma and COPD, particularly in smokers and the elderly, a condition termed as asthma-COPD overlap (ACO). However, the definition of ACO is yet to be established and clinical guidelines to identify and manage ACO remain controversial. Therefore, in this study, inflammatory biomarkers were established to distinguish asthma, ACO, and COPD, and their relationship with the severity of patients' symptoms and pulmonary function were explored.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A total of 178 patients, diagnosed with asthma (n = 38), ACO (n = 44), and COPD (n = 96) between January 2021 to June 2022, were enrolled in this study. The patients' pulmonary function was examined and routine blood samples were taken for the analysis of inflammatory indexes. Logistic regression analysis was used to establish inflammatory biomarkers for distinguishing asthma, ACO, and COPD; linear regression analysis was used to analyze the relationship between inflammatory indexes and symptom severity and pulmonary function.

RESULT

The results showed that, compared with ACO, the higher the indexes of platelet, neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and eosinophil-basophil ratio (EBR), the more likely the possibility of asthma and COPD in patients, while the higher the eosinophils, the less likely the possibility of asthma and COPD. Hemoglobin and lymphocyte-monocyte ratio (LMR) were negatively correlated with the severity of patients' symptoms, while platelet-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) was negatively correlated with forced expiratory volume in the 1 s/forced vital capacity (FEV1/FVC) and FEV1 percent predicted (% pred), and EBR was positively correlated with FEV1% pred.

CONCLUSION

Inflammatory indexes are biomarkers for distinguishing asthma, ACO, and COPD, which are of clinical significance in therapeutic strategies and prognosis evaluation.

[A multicenter study on childhood Hodgkin lymphoma treated with HL-2013 regimen in China]

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of the Hodgkin lymphoma (HL)-2013 regimen in the treatment of children with HL, and to investigate the prognostic factors of childhood HL. Methods: Clinical data of 145 children (aged ≤18 years) with newly diagnosed HL, treated with HL-2013 regimen in 8 tertiary referral centers for childhood cancer from August 2011 to April 2021 were analyzed retrospectively. All the diagnosis were confirmed by histopathological morphology and immunohistochemical examination. The clinical characteristics and treatment outcomes were summarized, and the patients were divided into different groups according to clinical characteristics. Kaplan-Meier method was used for survival analysis, and the comparison of survival rates between groups was performed with Log-rank test. Results: Of the 145 cases, there were 115 males and 30 females, the age at diagnosis was 7.9 (5.8, 10.6) years. Cervical lymph node enlargement (114 cases, 78.6%) was the common symptom of the disease, and 57 patients (39.3%) were accompanied by large masses. The most common pathological classification was mixed cell type (93 cases, 64.1%). According to the Ann Arbor staging system, there were 9 cases of stage Ⅰ, 62 cases of stage Ⅱ, 45 cases of stage Ⅲ, 29 cases of stage Ⅳ. According to the risk stratification: there were 14 cases of low-risk group, 76 cases of medium-risk group and 55 cases of high-risk group. Of all patients, 68 cases (46.9%) achieved an early complete remission (CR) after 2 courses of chemotherapy, and the CR rate was 93.8% (136/145) after first-line treatment. Disease recurrence or progression occurred in 22 cases (15.2%). Of all patients, 125 cases survived, 6 cases died and 14 cases were lost to follow-up. Among the survived cases, 123 cases were continuously at CR state,and the follow-up time was 55 (40, 76) months. The 5-year overall survival (OS) and event free survival (EFS) rates were (95.3±1.9)% and (84.2±3.0)% for the entire group, respectively. 5-year OS and EFS rates for patients with stage Ⅲ-Ⅳ were both lower than those for patients with stage Ⅰ-Ⅱ (χ²=6.28 and 7.58, both P<0.05), the 5-year OS and EFS rates for patients in high-risk group were both lower than those for patients in low-risk and medium-risk group (χ²=10.93, 7.79, both P<0.05). The 5-year OS rates for the patient with early CR and without early CR were 100.0% and (90.9±3.6)% (χ²=5.77, P=0.016). EFS rates for the patient with early CR (68 cases) and without early CR (77 cases) were (93.8±3.0)% and (75.8±5.0)% (χ²=8.78, P=0.003). Conclusions: HL-2013 regimen is significantly effective in the treatment of pediatric HL. However, the patients in high-risk group and those without early CR are prone to disease recurrence or progression. Stage Ⅲ-Ⅳ and without early CR were associated with worse prognosis.

Immune checkpoint inhibitor-associated new-onset primary adrenal insufficiency: a retrospective analysis using the FAERS

BACKGROUND

Our study aimed to investigate the prevalence and demographic characteristics of immune checkpoint inhibitor-associated primary adrenal insufficiency (ICI-PAI) and to explore the risk factors of its clinical outcome using data from the US FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS).

METHODS

This was a retrospective study. All cases of new-onset or newly diagnosed primary adrenal insufficiency associated with FDA-approved ICIs from 1 January 2007 to 31 December 2020 were identified and collected using FAERS. Data on age, sex category, body weight of the participating individuals, the reporting year and the prognosis of cases, and other accompanying endocrinopathies related to ICIs, were analysed.

RESULTS

The incidence of ICI-PAI was 1.03% (1180/114121). Of the 1180 cases of PAI, 46 were "confirmed PAI", and 1134 were "suspected PAI". Combination therapy with anti-CTLA-4 and anti-PD-1 was related to a higher risk of PAI compared with the anti-PD-1-only group (χ² = 92.88, p < 0.001). Male and elderly individuals showed a higher risk of ICI-PAI (male vs. female, 1.17% vs. 0.94%, χ² = 12.55, p < 0.001; age < 65 vs. ≥ 65, 1.20 vs. 1.41%, χ² = 6.89, p = 0.009). The co-occurrence rate of endocrinopathies other than PAI was 24.3%, which showed a higher trend in patients on nivolumab-ipilimumab treatment than in those on PD-1 inhibitors (χ² = 3.227, p = 0.072). Body weight was negatively associated with the risk of death in the study population [p = 0.033 for the regression model; B = - 0.017, OR 0.984, 95% CI (0.969-0.998), p = 0.029].

CONCLUSION

ICI-associated PAI is a rare but important irAE. Male and elderly patients have a higher risk of ICI-PAI. Awareness among clinicians is critical when patients with a lower body weight develop PAI, which indicates a higher risk of a poor clinical outcome.

Characterization of biochar-derived organic matter extracted with solvents of differing polarity via ultrahigh-resolution mass spectrometry

In recent years, biochar, a porous carbon-based material, has gained attention for its application prospects in contaminated soil remediation and soil improvement. Biochar-derived organic matter has a key role in influencing the migration and transformation of soil elements and pollutants. However, existing research concerning the molecular characteristics of biochar-derived organic matter is limited. Here, we used four polar solvents - dichloromethane (CH₂Cl₂), acetone (CH₃COCH₃), methanol (CH₃OH), and distilled water (H₂O) - to extract organic matter from soybean straw biochar and wheat straw biochar by accelerated solvent extraction (ASE). We characterized the extracts using Fourier-transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FT-ICR-MS). We found considerable differences in organic matter according to the extraction solvents; such differences were related to the polarity of the solvent, as well as intermolecular forces between the solvent and organic matter. CH₃OH extracted the most biochar-extractable organic matter components because CH₃OH can weaken or destroy oxygen bridge bonds in biochar and form hydrogen bonds with small-molecule organic compounds. CH₃OH and H₂O have strong extraction capacity for compounds containing heteroatoms. CH₂Cl₂-extractable organic matter is relatively labile and bioavailable, while CH₃OH- and H₂O-extractable organic matters are relatively stable. In addition, the binding capacity of biochar-derived organic matter for minerals and pollutants differed among fractions, in part because of differences in molecular weight, atomic O/C and H/C ratios, heteroatom distribution, and biomolecular compounds present in biochar-derived organic matter. The findings in this study help to select appropriate extractants to analyze biochar-derived organic matter for various research purposes, and provides a theoretical basis for biochar-based remediation of contaminated soil.

CD47KO/CRT dual-bioengineered cell membrane-coated nanovaccine combined with anti-PD-L1 antibody for boosting tumor immunotherapy

Tumor vaccines trigger tumor-specific immune responses to prevent or treat tumors by activating the hosts' immune systems, and therefore, these vaccines have potential clinical applications. However, the low immunogenicity of the tumor antigen itself and the low efficiency of the vaccine delivery system hinder the efficacy of tumor vaccines that cannot produce high-efficiency and long-lasting antitumor immune effects. Here, we constructed a nanovaccine by integrating CD47KO/CRT dual-bioengineered B16F10 cancer cell membranes and the unmethylated cytosine-phosphate-guanine (CpG) adjuvant. Hyperbranched PEI25k was used to load unmethylated cytosine-phosphate-guanine (CpG) through electrostatic adsorption to prepare PEI25k/CpG nanoparticles (PEI25k/CpG-NPs). CD47KO/CRT dual-bioengineered cells were obtained by CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing technology, followed by the cell surface translocation of calreticulin (CRT) to induce immunogenic cell death (ICD) in vitro. Finally, the extracted cell membranes were coextruded with PEI25k/CpG-NPs to construct the CD47KO/CRT dual-bioengineered cancer cell membrane-coated nanoparticles (DBE@CCNPs). DBE@CCNPs could promote endocytosis of antigens and adjuvants in murine bone marrow derived dendritic cells (BMDCs) and induce their maturation and antigen cross-presentation. To avoid immune checkpoint molecule-induced T cell dysfunction, the immune checkpoint inhibitor, the anti-PD-L1 antibody, was introduced to boost tumor immunotherapy through a combination with the DBE@CCNPs nanovaccine. This combination therapy strategy can significantly alleviate tumor growth and may open up a potential strategy for clinical tumor immunotherapy.

Novel Cocktail Therapy Based on a Nanocarrier with an Efficient Transcytosis Property Reverses the Dynamically Deteriorating Tumor Microenvironment for Enhanced Immunotherapy

The immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) faces a low response rate in clinical cancer treatment. Chemotherapy could enhance the response rate of the ICB, but patients would suffer from side effects. The off-target toxicity could be reduced by loading the chemotherapeutic agent through nanocarriers. Therefore, we developed a polymeric carrier for doxorubicin (DOX) loading to form DOX nanoparticles (DOX NPs), which were spatiotemporally responsive to the tumor microenvironment (TME). DOX NPs had an efficient transcytosis property for deep tumor infiltration and sustained drug release ability. Unfortunately, a binary therapy of DOX NPs and ICB induces tumor adaptive resistance and causes dynamic deterioration of the TME. We propose for the first time that TGF-β1 is a major cause of tumor adaptive resistance and developed an immune cocktail therapy containing DOX NPs, ICB, and TGF-β1 gene silencing nanoparticles. This therapy successfully overcame tumor adaptive resistance by reversing the immunosuppressive TME and achieved enhanced tumor treatment efficiency.

[Clinical significance of autoantibodies against ubiquitin carboxyl hydrolase L1 epitopes in the screening and diagnosis of Sjögren syndrome]

Objective: To study the clinical significance of autoantibodies against different ubiquitin carboxyl hydrolase L1 (UCH-L1) epitopes in Sjogren syndrome (SS). Methods: The serum levels of different UCH-L1 epitope autoantibodies in 98 SS patients [SS group, 17 males and 81 females, aged (49.1±12.3) years] in the Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University and Peking University People's Hospital from January 2017 to January 2020 and 37 healthy controls [control group, 6 males and 31 females, aged (46.3±5.8) years] were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Three potential epitopes of UCH-L1 protein were analyzed and synthesized and anti-UCH-L1^203-214 and anti-UCH-L1^58-69 antibodies were studied between the two groups. The levels of the two anti-UCH-L1 antibodies in the two groups were compared. The correlation between the levels of UCH-L1 antibodies and clinical data of SS patients were analyzed by Pearson correlation analysis. Results: The serum levels of anti-UCH-L1^203-214 and anti-UCH-L1^58-69 antibody in SS patients were significantly higher than those in healthy controls (HCs) (anti-UCH-L1^203-214: 108.2±54.3 vs 78.9±25.8, P<0.001, anti-UCH-L1^58-69: 86.8±33.3 vs 60.4±21.5, P<0.001). The positive rates of anti-UCH-L1^203-214 and anti-UCH-L1^58-69 antibodies in serums of SS patients were 27.6 % (27/98) and 25.5% (25/98), and those in HCs were 2.7%(1/37) and 5.4 %(2/37), respectively. In SS patients with positive serum anti-UCH-L1^58-69 antibody, the levels of IgG, γ globulin and rheumatoid factor (RF) and anti-SS-related antigen B (anti-SSB) antibody positive rate were all significantly higher than those in patients with negative antibody (all P<0.05). In SS patients with negative antinuclear antibody (ANA), anti-RNA binding protein (anti-RNP) antibody, anti-SS-related antigen A (anti-SSA) antibody and anti-SSB antibody, the positive rates of anti-UCH-L1^203-214 antibody was 32.1%(9/28), 27.2%(25/92), 36.4%(12/33), 28.6%(18/63), respectively; and the positive rates of anti-UCH-L1^58-69 antibody was 21.4%(6/28), 30.4%(28/92), 30.3%(10/33), 20.6%(13/63), respectively. The level of serum anti-UCH-L1^203-214 antibody in SS patients was positively correlated with the IgA level (r=0.21, P=0.024). The level of anti-UCH-L1^58-69 antibody in SS patients was positively correlated with the levels of γ-globulin, IgG and RF (r=0.35, 0.33, 0.32, all P<0.01). Conclusion: Autoantibodies against UCH-L1 epitopes are correlated with some clinical parameters of SS patients, which is of promising significance in the screening and diagnosis of SS.

P11.75.B Survival benefit of radiotherapy and surgery in patients with lung cancer brain metastases with poor prognosis factors

Background

Radiotherapy and surgery are the standard treatments for lung cancer brain metastases (BMs). However, limitted studies focused on the treatments for patients with lung cancer BMs with poor prognosis factors. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of radiotherapy and surgery in patients with lung cancer BMs with poor prognosis factors, providing reference for clinical strategies.

Material and Methods

We analyzed retrospectively 714 patients with lung cancer BMs. A 1:1 propensity score matching (PSM) was performed to balance potential confounders. Analyses of overall survival (OS) and risk factors for OS were assessed by log-rank test and Cox proportional hazard model.

Results

Age ≥65 years, Karnofsky Performance Scale (KPS) score ≤70, anaplastic large-cell lymphoma kinase (ALK)/epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) wild type, extracranial metastases, non-surgery and non-radiotherapy led to poor prognosis. Patients were stratified according to these factors. Radiotherapy and surgery showed no survival benefit in patients with aged ≥65 years or pretreatment KPS score ≤70 before and after PSM. Before PSM, whole brain radiotherapy (WBRT) improved the OS and predicted good prognosis in patients with ALK/EGFR wild type or extracranial metastases. WBRT also predicted good prognosis in patients with non-surgery. Stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) improved the OS and predicted good prognosis in patients with ALK/EGFR wild type or non-surgery. WBRT plus SRS improved the OS and predicted good prognosis in patients with extracranial metastases or non-surgery. WBRT plus SRS also predicted good prognosis in patients with ALK/EGFR wild type. Surgery improved the OS and predicted good prognosis in patients with non-radiotherapy. After PSM, SRS improved the OS and predicted good prognosis in patients with non-surgery. WBRT plus SRS improved the OS and predicted good prognosis in patients with non-surgery or extracranial metastases. WBRT plus SRS also predicted good prognosis in patients with ALK/EGFR wild type. Surgery improved the OS of patients with non-radiotherapy. We defined that the treatment would provide significant survival benefit if it both prolonged the OS and predicted good prognosis. Meanwhile, the results after PSM were more convincing than the results before PSM.

Conclusion

Radiotherapy has significant survival benefit in patients with lung cancer BMs with poor prognosis factors, including patients with ALK/EGFR wild type or extracranial metastases or non-surgery. Surgery only has significant survival benefit in patients with non-radiotherapy.

Radiological features of Rosai-Dorfman disease: case series and review of the literature

AIM

To improve the accuracy of diagnosis of Rosai-Dorfman disease (RDD) by summarising the computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) characteristics.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The clinical manifestations, imaging findings, and pathological characteristics of 14 patients with histopathologically confirmed RDD were analysed retrospectively and a literature review was undertaken.

RESULTS

Of the 14 patients, nine had multiple lesions and five had single lesions. Eight patients had extranodal lesions, while six had mixed-type lesions. In patients with head and neck lesions, plain CT/MRI revealed irregularly shaped, well-defined, homogeneous, and mainly progressive lesions, with marked homogeneous enhancement on multiphasic contrast-enhanced imaging. One patient had dural lesions, one of which iso-intense to grey matter, with patchy hypo-intensity on T2-weighted imaging, meningeal tail signs, and characteristic crabfoot-like enhancement. Three patients with skeletal system involvement exhibited osteolytic bone destruction without sclerosis at the edges, associated soft-tissue masses, or periosteal reactions. Two patients had well-defined subcutaneous lesions, inhomogeneous density, and progressive parenchymal enhancement on contrast-enhanced CT. One patient had multiple intestinal lesions with inhomogeneous nodular thickening of the blind ascending colon and ileum, with marked and progressive enhancement.

CONCLUSION

RDD involvement is mainly multifocal, primarily in the head and neck regions. Plain CT/MRI revealed well-defined, irregularly shaped lesions with homogeneous density/signal, with marked and progressive enhancement on multiphasic contrast-enhanced imaging; however, histopathology is still required to confirm the diagnosis of RDD.