[Two-dimensional equivalent mechanical modeling and finite element analysis of normal female pelvic floor system]

Objective: To construct the geometric model of the pelvic floor by a two-dimensional equivalent mechanics method, and to explore the effect of the shape and position of pelvic floor organs and tissues on the biomechanical properties of the pelvic floor under different abdominal pressure. Methods: A 28-year-old healthy and symmetrical married infertile female volunteer was included. The pelvic floor tissue was scanned in the supine position using a 3.0T magnetic resonance scanner (Philips Company, Holland). Based on the method of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) two-dimensional parameter measurement and computer aided design, the geometric model and finite element model of the female pelvic floor were established, and the biomechanical characteristics of the pelvic floor support system under different abdominal pressure were analyzed. Results: In this study, four different working conditions of the pelvic floor force were simulated under 60, 99, 168, and 208 cmH₂O (1 cmH₂O=0.098 kPa) abdominal pressure loads. The trend was as follows: under the abdominal pressure load, the retrograde flexion of the uterus occurred, the cervical, the middle and upper vaginal segment and the levator anus muscle had the characteristic change of mechanical axial direction pointing to the sacrum and coccyx, and the deformation of the levator anus muscle in the horizontal direction was greater than that in the vertical direction. With the increase of the abdominal pressure, the maximum stress values of the pelvic floor whole system of healthy subjects under four different working conditions were 0.194 3, 0.389 6, 0.557 1, and 0.627 5 MPa, respectively, and the maximum displacement values were 10, 14, 21 and 25 mm, respectively. The maximum stress values of the cervical and vaginal middle and upper segment were 0.111 7, 0.161 8, 0.250 6, and 0.304 1 MPa, respectively, and the maximum displacement values were 3, 6, 9, and 11 mm, respectively. The maximum stress of the perineal body was 0.063 4, 0.119 6, 0.235 2, and 0.288 0 MPa, and the maximum displacement was 1, 2, 4, and 5 mm. The maximum stress values of the levator anus muscle were 0.194 3, 0.389 6, 0.557 1, and 0.627 5 MPa, and the maximum displacement values were 2, 4, 7, and 8 mm, respectively. The maximum stress and maximum displacement of pelvic organs increased with the increase of the abdominal pressure under different working conditions. The stress axial relationship of normal female pelvic floor was that the middle and upper segment of uterus and vagina mainly acted on the sacrococcyx and the levator anus muscle, and the lower vaginal segment acts on the perineal body. Conclusions: The two-dimensional equivalent mechanical modeling and finite element analysis of the female pelvic floor system can accurately reflect the biomechanical characteristics of the female pelvic floor, and the resultant stress direction of the pelvic organs points to the sacrum and coccyx. The sacrum and coccyx, levator anus and perineal body play important stress supporting roles in the pelvic floor system.

A novel nitidine chloride nanoparticle overcomes the stemness of CD133+EPCAM+ Huh7 hepatocellular carcinoma cells for liver cancer therapy

Background

Stemness of CD133⁺EPCAM⁺ hepatocellular carcinoma cells ensures cancer resistance to apoptosis,which is a challenge to current liver cancer treatments. In this study, we evaluated the tumorcidal activity of a novel nanoparticle of nitidine chloride (TPGS-FA/NC, TPGS-FA: folic acid modified D-α-tocopheryl polyethylene glycol 1000 succinate, NC: nitidine chloride), against human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cell line Huh7 growth in vitro and in vivo.

Methods

Huh7 cells were treated with TPGS-FA/NC. Cell proliferation was assessed using MTT and colony assays. The expression of cell markers and signaling proteins was detected using western blot analyses. A sphere culture technique was used to enrich cancer stem cells (CSC) in Huh7 cells. TPGS-FA/NC (7.5, 15, 30, 60, 120 μg/mL) dose-dependently inhibited the proliferation of HCC cells, which associated with a reduction in AQP3 and STAT3 expression. Importantly,TPGS-FA/NC (10, 20, and 40 μg/mL) significantly reduced the EpCAM⁺/CD133⁺cell numbers, suppressed the sphere formation. The in vivo antitumor efficacy of TPGS-FA/NC was proved in Huh7 cell xenograft model in BALB/c nude mice, which were administered TPGS-FA/NC(4 mg· kg − 1· d − 1, ig) for 2 weeks.

Results

TPGS-FA/NC dose-dependently suppressed the AQP3/STAT3/CD133 axis in Huh7 cells. In Huh7 xenograft bearing nude mice, TPGS-FA/NC administration markedly inhibited Huh7 xenograft tumor growth .

Conclusions

TPGS-FA/NC inhibit HCC tumor growth through multiple mechanisms, and it may be a promising candidate drug for the clinical therapy of hepatocellular carcinoma.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s40360-022-00589-z.

[The clinical value of oral robotic surgery in the treatment of oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma]

Objective: To explore the therapeutic effects of transoral robotic surgery (TORS) and traditional surgical modes in oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC). Methods: The clinicopathological data of patients with oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma treated at Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center from 2010 to 2018 were retrospectively analyzed. 135 cases were treated with traditional surgery (non-TORS group), while 52 cases were treated with TORS (TORS group). The prognosis of the two groups of patients were analyzed by Kaplan-Meier method and Log rank test, the influencing factors were analyzed by Cox regression model. Results: The 2-year overall survival (OS, 94.2%) and 2-year progression-free survival (PFS, 93.8%) of patients in the TORS group were better than those in the non-TORS group (71.4% and 71.4%, respectively, P<0.05). The 2-year OS (93.3%) and 2-year PFS (92.8%) of TORS group patients in T1-2 stage were better than those of non-TORS group (73.1% and 72.8%, respectively, P<0.05). The 2-year OS (95.8%) and 2-year PFS (95.2%) of patients with stage Ⅰ to Ⅱ in the TORS group were not significantly different from those in the non-TORS group (84.1% and 83.9%, respectively, P>0.05). The 2-year OS (92.9%) and 2-year PFS rate (92.7%) of patients with stage Ⅲ to Ⅳ in the TORS group were better than those in the non-TORS group (64.7% and 63.9%, respectively, P<0.05). The 2-year OS (94.4%) of HPV-positive patients in the TORS group was not significantly different from that in the non-TORS group (83.3%, P=0.222). The 2-year OS of HPV-negative patients in the TORS group (94.1%) was significantly different from that in the non-TORS group (43.7%, P<0.001). HPV status was an independent prognostic factor (P=0.008). Conclusions: TORS has a better prognosis in the treatment of oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma compared with the traditional treatment methods. The patients with T1-T2 can achieve better survival benefits after TORS treatment. The HPV-positive OPSCC patients has a better prognosis than that of HPV-negative OPSCC patients, and regardless of HPV status, OPSCC patients in the TORS group could obtain a better survival prognosis.

[Status of HVPG clinical application in China in 2021]

Objective: The investigation and research on the application status of Hepatic Venous Pressure Gradient (HVPG) is very important to understand the real situation and future development of this technology in China. Methods: This study comprehensively investigated the basic situation of HVPG technology in China, including hospital distribution, hospital level, annual number of cases, catheters used, average cost, indications and existing problems. Results: According to the survey, there were 70 hospitals in China carrying out HVPG technology in 2021, distributed in 28 provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities directly under the central Government). A total of 4 398 cases of HVPG were performed in all the surveyed hospitals in 2021, of which 2 291 cases (52.1%) were tested by HVPG alone. The average cost of HVPG detection was (5 617.2±2 079.4) yuan. 96.3% of the teams completed HVPG detection with balloon method, and most of the teams used thrombectomy balloon catheter (80.3%). Conclusion: Through this investigation, the status of domestic clinical application of HVPG has been clarified, and it has been confirmed that many domestic medical institutions have mastered this technology, but it still needs to continue to promote and popularize HVPG technology in the future.

[Clinical epidemiological survey of primary liver cancer in Yunnan province from 2005 to 2014]

Objective: To investigate the clinical characteristics and changing trends of primary liver cancer in Yunnan province from 2005 to 2014, in order to provide theoretical basis for the prevention and treatment of liver cancer in this region. Methods: A retrospective survey was used to select inpatient cases of liver cancer who were initially diagnosed and treated in our hospital from 2005 to 2014 with simple random sampling. Patients socio-demographic and clinicopathological characteristics were extracted by a unified and standardized questionnaire, and the data were statistically analyzed. Results: A total of 1000 cases with liver cancer were included, aged (53.2±11.2) years, with a male-to-female ratio of 5.99/1.00. There was no significant change in the gender and age composition ratio of patients in the past 10 years. The proportion of patients with lower education level (primary or junior high school) were increased from 21.8% to 23.4%, and the proportion of patients with relatively higher education level were decreased from 58% to 38.2% (P<0.001). Smokers and non-smokers patients were decreased and increased from 58.8% to 44.4%, and 41.2% to 55.6% (P<0.001). The proportion of drinker patients were decreased from 46.4% to 35.2%. The proportion of patients with advanced liver cancer (stage C and D) were increased, while the proportion of patients with stage A and B showed a downward trend (P<0.001). The proportion of HBsAg-positive patients showed an upward trend, that is, rising from 69% in 2005 to 82% in 2014 (P=0.043). The proportion of HBeAg-positive patients showed a steady trend (P=0.008). The use rate of ultrasound examination in patients with liver cancer were decreased from 91.0% to 58.0% (P=0.001), while the use rate of computed tomography (CT), MRI, and PET/CT examinations were increased from 81.0% to 84.0% (P=0.05), 0 to 22% (P<0.001), and 0 to 3% (P=0.026) between 2005 to 2014. The proportion of surgical patients were increased (P=0.005), but the proportion of interventional patients did not change significantly (P=0.590). Surgery and interventional therapy were the most common treatment methods, and the proportion of patients treated with surgery over the past 10 years showed an upward trend (P=0.005), while the proportion of interventional therapy remained at a high level with no significant change (P=0.590). Conclusion: In Yunnan province, the incidence of liver cancer increases with age, and the proportion of male with liver cancer is almost six times that of women. Moreover, the low positive rate of alpha-fetoprotein levels and advanced clinical stage in this region are presently the main challenges against the liver cancer prevention and treatment. The application scope of CT, magnetic resonance imaging, PET-CT and other examination methods has gradually expanded, but the treatment methods are still mainly surgery and interventional therapy.

Expression and distribution of erythropoietin, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and VEGF receptor 2 in small intestine of yaks at different ages

BACKGROUND

This study aimed to detect the expression and distribution of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), VEGF receptor 2 (VEGFR-2), and erythropoietin (EPO) proteins in small intestinal tissues of 50-day-old, newborn, and adult yaks. The results provide basic data for the study of the relationship between adaptability and age of plateau yak.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Small intestine tissues from healthy adult, 50-day-old, and newborn yak were collected and embedded in paraffin sections. Histological features were observed by haematoxylin and eosin staining. The expression of VEGF, VEGFR-2, and EPO proteins were detected by immunohistochemical staining.

RESULTS

Immunohistochemical results showed that of the expression VEGF, VEGFR-2, and EPO were detected in the small intestinal villi of yaks at all ages. The EPO expression level in the jejunum and duodenal villous epithelial cells of newborn yaks was significantly higher than that of 50-day-old and adult yaks. The EPO expression level in ileum villous epithelial cells of 50-day-old yaks was significantly higher than that of newborn and adult yaks. VEGF expression in newborn yak ileum and jejunum epithelial cells of the intestinal villus were significantly higher than in the 50-day-old and adult. In the 50-day-old yaks, the duodenal intestinal villus epithelial cells expression levels were higher than in the adult and newborn yaks. The expression level of VEGFR-2 in the ileum, jejunum and duodenal villous epithelial cells of 50-day-old yak was significantly higher than in that of adult and newborn yak.

CONCLUSIONS

The expression and distribution characteristics of EPO, VEGF, and VEGFR-2 in yak intestinal tissues of different ages indicate that these proteins may be involved in the physiological regulation of yak intestines in hypoxic environments. It may be an important regulatory protein in yak adaptation to a high altitude and low oxygen environment.

Investigating novel roles for nesprin-1 and the LINC complex in Dilated Cardiomyopathy

Funding Acknowledgements

Type of funding sources: Foundation. Main funding source(s): British Heart Foundation

Cardiomyopathies are an important cause of heart failure and sudden cardiac death. Recent studies have demonstrated the importance of the "passive" mechanical components of cardiomyocytes (CMs) as new causes for dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). Nesprin-1/-2 are highly expressed in skeletal and cardiac muscle and together with SUN (Sad1p/UNC84)-domain containing proteins form the LInker of Nucleoskeleton and Cytoskeleton (LINC) complex at the nuclear envelope (NE), which, in association with lamin A/C and emerin, mechanically couples the nucleus to the cytoskeleton. We have recently identified novel nesprin-1 mutants in  DCM patients, which cause LINC complex disruption, leading to defects in nuclear organisation and myogenesis in vitro. We aim to investigate mechanisms through which these mutations lead to DCM. Therefore, we have generated a nesprin-1 mutant R8253Q knock-in (KI) mouse line (equivalent to human SYNE1 R8272Q) as the first clinically relevant animal model. 2. R8272Q is in close proximity to the binding regions to microtubule (MT) associated proteins kinesin light chain-1/2 and Akap6 at the nuclear envelope, which is potentially in involved in MT organization. Preliminary mouse echocardiography data showed significantly reduced thickness of left ventricle (LV) posterior wall in diastole, and reduced % ejection fraction in the KIs at 15 weeks after birth, suggesting LV dysfunction and a tendency of DCM. Immunofluorescence (IF) of isolated adult cardiomyocytes (ACM) from KI mice showed perinuclear MT localization was significantly reduced, KLC-1/2 and AKAP6 were mislocalized from the NE and altered nuclear positioning. Therefore, we propose to investigate novel roles of nesprin-1 and the LINC complex in cardiomyocyte mechanotransduction using this KI model to explore roles of  nesprin-1 in microtubule organization, nuclear positioning, and CM homeostasis, which will yield insights into signalling leading to DCM and heart failure as well as inform strategies for translational approaches.

Optimization of environmental factors in a dual in vitro biofilm model of Candida albicans-Streptococcus mutans

The biofilm formation of Streptococcus mutans-Candida albicans is an important virulence factor for dental caries. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of some environmental conditions on the biofilm formation like inoculation concentration, temperature, sugar, amino acid, metal ions and saliva, and then establish a persistent in vitro biofilm model for further research. Based on the single factor experiment, the factors participating in the biofilm formation including sugar, inoculation concentration, and saliva increased the biofilm mass, while amino acid, metal ions, temperatures reduced biofilm mass. Optimal conditions for biofilm formation were the inoculation dosage of S. mutans and C. albicans of 10⁸ and 10⁷ , respectively, the addition of 0·3 g l^-1 sucrose and sterile saliva. These results contribute to a deep understanding of the factors involved in oral biofilm formation of the important cariogenic pathogen S. mutans and the opportunistic pathogen C. albicans to study better for biofilm and promote the design of new therapeutic approaches. The present research also provides a model for evaluating the therapeutic potential for drugs in the future.

Le déficit en interféron de type I n’altère pas la réponse lymphocytaire B mémoire contre le SARS-CoV-2 après vaccination par ARNm

Introduction

Les vaccins à ARN messagers ont joué un rôle majeur dans la lutte contre la pandémie de SARS-CoV-2 grâce à une excellente efficacité et sécurité clinique. Ces vaccins ont été développés suite à des années de recherche fondamentale, dont l’une des étapes cruciales a été de remplacer l’uridine de l’ARNm par de la 1-méthyl-pseudo-uridine afin d’éviter la reconnaissance par les récepteurs de l’immunité innée, notamment le toll-like-receptor (TLR) 7. Une hypothèse, très fréquemment défendue mais jamais étayée expérimentalement, est que cet ARN modifié garde une activité immunostimulatrice à bas bruit permettant la production d’interféron de type I, agissant comme un adjuvant du vaccin. Les interférons de type I sont des cytokines antivirales essentielles et les patients ayant un déficit dans les voies de l’interféron de type I sont à haut risque de COVID-19 sévère. Dans ce travail, nous avons analysé la réponse lymphocytaire B au vaccin à ARNm de patients présentant l’absence de signalisation par les interférons de type I. Ceci nous a permis de savoir si les vaccins par ARNm permettaient d’établir une réponse lymphocytaire B robuste en l’absence d’interféron de type I.

Patients et méthodes

Nous avons constitué trois cohortes de patients (i) des patients avec des déficits génétiques sur les voies de l’interféron de type I : 2 patients avec une mutation homozygote d’IRF7 (facteur de transcription responsable de la production d’interférons de Type I, notamment en aval de TLR7) et un patient avec une déficit hémizygote de TLR7 (ii) des patients ayant des auto-anticorps neutralisant les interférons alpha et oméga, dans le cadre d’une polyendocrinopathie auto-immune de type I (APS-1, n = 14) (iii) des patients ayant des auto-anticorps neutralisant les interféron, associés à l’âge, une entité récemment décrite et particulièrement fréquente chez les sujets âgés (n = 8). Ces sujets ont été comparés à 29 contrôles sains. Tous étaient naïfs du COVID-19 et ont reçu 2 doses de vaccin à ARNm (BNT162n2 ou mRNA1273). Les patients ont été prélevés à différents point de temps, dans les 3 premiers mois et entre 3 et 7 mois après la seconde dose. La réponse sérologique a été évaluée par ELISA anti-IgG et IgA RBD (receptor binding domain de la Spike) et la neutralisation sérique a été testée in vitro contre le D614G-SARS-CoV-2. Les lymphocytes B (LB) mémoires CD19 + IgD-CD27± spécifiques du RBD ont été analysés en cytométrie en flux et triés en cellule unique pour séquençage des régions variables de la chaîne lourde de l’immunoglobuline.

Résultats

La réponse sérologique anti-RBD IgG et IgA était comparable aux temps précoces et tardifs de la réponse vaccinale, évoluant de façon similaire chez les patients déficients en interféron de type I et les sujets sains. La capacité de neutralisation des sérums contre le SARS-CoV-2 était également identique dans tous les groupes, et corrélait fortement avec le taux d’IgG anti-RBD, suggérant que le RBD était également la cible de la réponse neutralisante chez les patients déficients en interféron de type I. Des LB mémoires circulants spécifiques du RBD étaient retrouvés dans toutes les cohortes de patients déficients en interféron de type I au cours des 3 mois suivant la vaccination. Ceux-ci se maintenaient dans le temps et étaient encore présents entre 3 et 7 mois après la vaccination (0,18 % des LB IgD-CD27+ chez les sujets sains, 0,24 % chez les sujets avec déficit génétiques, 0,16 % chez les APS-1 et 0,26 % chez les AAB, pas de différence statistiquement significative). Le séquençage de la chaîne lourde des régions variables de l’immunoglobuline des LB mémoires spécifiques du RBD révélait l’accumulation progressive des mutations jusqu’à 7 mois chez les sujets sains, témoignant d’une réaction des centres germinatifs permettant la maturation d’affinité et la génération de lymphocytes B mémoires à longue durée de vie. Chez les patients IRF7 déficients, les LB mémoires spécifiques du RBD acquerraient progressivement des mutations de M1 à M6, et les LB mémoires spécifiques du RBD de patients TLR7 et APS-1 arboraient un nombre élevé de mutation dès M4, témoignant que même en l’absence de réponse à l’interféron de type I, le vaccin permettait la génération des LB mémoire issus des centres germinatifs, comme chez les sujets sains. Enfin, des clones partagés étaient retrouvés entre les sujets sains et les patients déficient en interféron de type I témoignant d’une réponse qualitativement normale.

Conclusion

Notre travail apporte des données rassurantes sur la vaccination de ces patients à haut risque de forme de grave de COVID-19 et suggère que l’ARNm contenu dans les vaccins n’a pas de rôle adjuvant intrinsèque.

Evaluation of the efficacy of a novel phytase in short-term digestibility and long-term egg production studies with laying hens

Three independent trials were conducted to evaluate the efficacy of a novel phytase in laying hens. Trial 1 used a total of 90 laying hens (Lohmann Brown, 33-wk-old) fed either a negative control (NC) diet with 0.09% non-phytate P (NPP) or NC supplemented with 187.5 or 375 FYT phytase/kg feed for 4 d before collection of excreta and ileal digesta to measure ileal digestibility and retention of Ca and P. In trial 2 and 3, a total of 108 laying hens (Hy Line Brown, 25-wk-old) and 360 hens (Lohman Brown, 25-wk-old) were used, respectively. In both trials, the hens were randomly assigned to 3 dietary treatments: NC with 0.1% NPP, positive control (PC) and NC plus 187.5 FYT phytase/kg feed, the experimental diets were fed for 12 wk, and egg production and bone mineralization were measured. The results showed that the ileal digestibility of P increased both linearly (P = 0.012) and quadratically (P = 0.01) with increasing supplementation of phytase in trial 1. In trial 2, phytase supplementation significantly improved egg production, egg weight, and feed conversion ratio and reduced the percentage of broken eggs during the overall trial duration compared with NC. In trial 3, phytase significantly improved egg production, egg weight, and feed intake and reduced the percentage of broken eggs during the entire trial duration. In addition, percentage and weight of bone Ca and P increased significantly with added phytase. In trial 2 and 3, there was no significant difference between PC and the phytase treatment. In conclusion, the novel phytase significantly increased the ileal digestibility of P in a short-term digestibility study and improved egg production and bone mineralization in a 12-wk laying cycle. Ileal digestibility of P rather than P retention in short-term digestibility studies as well as egg production and whole tibia mineralization in long-term studies should be measured to demonstrate the efficacy of phytase in laying hens.

Osteocalcin reduces fat accumulation and inflammatory reaction by inhibiting ROS-JNK signal pathway in chicken embryonic hepatocytes

Osteocalcin (OCN) has a function in preventing fatty liver hemorrhagic syndrome (FLHS) in poultry. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of OCN on fat emulsion stimulated chicken embryonic hepatocytes and related signaling pathways. The primary chicken embryonic hepatocytes were isolated from the incubated 15-day (E15) pathogen free eggs and cultured with dulbecco's modified eagle medium (DMEM). After the hepatocyte density reached 80%, the cells were divided into 5 groups: control group (CONT), fat emulsion group (FE, 10% FE, v/v), FE with ucOCN at 1 ng/mL (FE-LOCN), 3 ng/mL (FE-MOCN), and 9 ng/mL (FE-HOCN). In addition, 2 mM N-Acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC) a reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenger, and 5 μM SP600125, a Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) inhibitor, were added separately in to the DMEM with 10% FE to test effects of FE on the function of ROS-JNK signal pathway. The number of hepatocytes, cell ultra-microstructure, viability, and apoptosis were detected after 48 h treatment, and the protein expressions and enzyme concentrations were detected after 72 h treatment. The results showed that, compared to the control group, FE increased the triglyceride (TG) concentration and lipid droplets (LDs) in chicken embryonic hepatocytes (P < 0.05), and induced hepatocytic edema with obviously mitochondrial swelling, membrane damage, and cristae rupture. FE also decreased ATP concentration, increased ROS concentrations and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) copy number, promoted inflammatory interleukin-1 (IL-1), IL-6, tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) concentrations and hepatocytic apoptosis rate, and raised phospho-c-Jun N-terminal kinase (p-JNK) protein expressions. Compared to the FE group, ucOCN significantly increased hepatocyte viability, reduced hepatocytic TG concentrations and LDs numbers, and alleviated hepatocytic edema and mitochondrial swelling. Furthermore, ucOCN significantly decreased ROS concentrations, increased ATP concentrations, reduced IL-1, IL-6, TNF-α concentrations and hepatocytic apoptosis rate, and inhibited p-JNK protein expressions (P < 0.05). NAC had the similar functions of ucOCN reduced the ROS concentration and inhibited the TNF-α protein expression and p-JNK/JNK ration. Similarly, SP600125 reduced p-JNK/JNK protein expression, IL-1, IL-6, TNF-α, and TG concentrations without effects on ROS concentration and hepatocytic apoptosis. These results suggest that ucOCN alleviates FE-induced mitochondrial damage, cellular edema, and apoptosis of hepatocytes. These results reveal that the functions of ucOCN in reducing fat accumulation and inflammatory reaction in chicken embryonic hepatocytes are mostly via inhibiting the ROS-JNK signal pathway.

[Risk factors and prognosis in critical patients with sepsis-related cardiomyopathy]

Objective: To explore the risk factors and prognosis of sepsis-related cardiomyopathy. Methods: Patients with sepsis and septic shock admitted to the Critical Care Medicine Department at Peking Union Medical College Hospital from October 2017 to February 2021 were enrolled. Echocardiographic parameters including left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (TAPSE) and cardiac index (CI) were obtained within 24 h after admission. Hemodynamic parameters including heart rate, mean arterial pressure and central venous pressure were also collected. The risk factors of 45-day mortality were analyzed using Cox regression analysis. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis was performed to compare 45-day mortality among patients with normal left ventricle (LV) systolic function group, sepsis-related takotsubo cardiomyopathy (ST) and septic cardiomyopathy (SC) group as well as between patients with normal right ventricular (RV) function and patients with RV dysfunction. Results: According to LV systolic function, patients were categorized into three groups: normal group [174 (66.9%)], SC group [66 (25.4%)] and ST group [66 (25.4%)]. In comparison with those in normal group, patients in SC group and ST group had higher acute physiology and chronic health evaluation Ⅱ (APACHE Ⅱ) score and sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA) score (P<0.05). No difference was found between SC group and ST group regarding APACHE Ⅱ score and SOFA score(P>0.05). ST group had lower LVEF [33(28, 41)% vs. 45(38, 48)%, P<0.05], CI [2.29 (1.99, 2.53)L·min^-1·m^-2 vs. 3.04(2.61, 3.61) L·min^-1·m^-2, P<0.05] higher TAPSE [18.6(16.0, 21.2)mm vs. 15.1(12.5, 19.0)mm, P<0.05] than SC group. A Cox regression survival analysis showed that right ventricular dysfunction (RVD) was an independent predictor of 45-day mortality (HR=1.992, 95%CI 1.088-3.647, P=0.025). A Kaplan-Meier analysis revealed no significant difference regarding 45-day mortality among ST group [25.0%(5/20)], SC group [30.3%(20/66)] and normal group 18.4%(32/174)(P=0.158). RVD patients [38.0%(30/79)] had significantly higher 45-day mortality than patients with normal RV function [14.9%(27/181),P<0.001]. Conclusions: In comparison with SC patients, ST patients tend to have worse LV systolic function, lower cardiac output and better RV function. However, neither ST nor SC is associated with 45-day mortality. RVD is a risk predictor of 45-day mortality, which should be monitored in septic patients.

Clinical consensus regarding the importance of rapid reduction in depressive symptoms in major depressive disorder with acute suicidal ideation or behavior (MDSI)

Introduction

Patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) with acute suicidal ideation or behavior (MDSI) require immediate intervention. Though oral antidepressants can be effective at reducing depressive symptoms, they can take 4–6 weeks to reach full effect.

Objectives

This study aimed to identify unmet needs in the treatment of patients with MDSI, specifically exploring the potential clinical benefits of rapid reduction of depressive symptoms.

Methods

A Delphi panel consisting of practicing psychiatrists (n=12) from the US, Canada and EU was conducted between December 2020–June 2021. Panelists were screened to ensure they had sufficient experience with managing patients with MDD and MDSI. Panelists completed two survey rounds, and a virtual consensus meeting.

Results

This research confirmed current unmet needs in the treatment of patients with MDSI.

Hopelessness, functional impairment, worsening of MDD symptoms, recurrent hospitalization and higher risk of suicide attempt were considered as key consequences of the slow onset of action of oral antidepressants.

Treatment with rapid acting antidepressant was anticipated by panelists to provide short-term benefit such as rapid reduction of core MDD symptoms which may contribute to shorter hospital stays and improved patient engagement/compliance, allowing for earlier interventions and improved patient outcomes. For long-term benefits, panelists agreed that improved daily functioning and increased trust/confidence in treatment options, constitute key benefits of rapid-acting treatments

Conclusions

There is need for rapid-acting treatments which may help address key unmet needs and provide clinically meaningful benefits driven by the rapid relief of depressive symptoms particularly in patients with MDSI.

Disclosure

SB, ED, KJ, MO’H, QZ, MM, MH, SR, JA and DZ are employees of Janssen and hold stock in Johnson & Johnson Inc. AN is currently employed by Neurocrine Biosciences Inc. RP is an employee of Adelphi Values PROVE hired by Janssen.

[A randomized double-blinded placebo-controlled clinical trial of minodronate tablet in postmenopausal Chinese women with osteoporosis]

Objective: To verify the efficacy and safety of daily oral minodronate in postmenopausal women with established osteoporosis. Methods: In this randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial, 262 postmenopausal women were enrolled. Patients were randomized to receive daily oral minodronate 1 mg with supplements of 500 mg calcium and 200 U vitamin D₃ (n=130) or placebo (n=132) with daily supplements of 500 mg calcium and 200 U vitamin D₃, for 48 weeks. The primary endpoint was the average bone mineral density (BMD) change in the lumbar vertebrae 48 weeks post-treatment. Secondary outcome measures was the incidence of vertebral fractures. Safety assessments included the rate of adverse events. Results: At the end of 48 weeks treatment, the average BMD change rate from baseline were: full analysis set results: (3.52±4.82)% in the minodronate group and (2.00±5.74)% in the placebo group; per-protocol set results: (3.99±5.05)% in the minodronate group and (2.07±6.20)% in the placebo group; the differences were all significant (all P<0.05). Vertebral fracture occured in 3 patients (2.3%, 3/132) in the placebo group, and 1 case (0.8%, 1/130) in the minodronate group (P>0.05). The incidence of adverse events was 71.5% (93/130) in the minodronate group and 78.0% (103/132) in the placebo group (P>0.05). Conclusion: Minodronate is effective and safe in the treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis without severe side effects.

[Retropharyngeal lymph node dissection in head and neck cancers treated with transoral robotic surgery]

Objective: To evaluate the indications, safety, feasibility, and surgical technique for patients with head and neck cancers undergoing transoral robotic retropharyngeal lymph node (RPLN) dissection. Methods: The current study enrolled 12 consecutive head and neck cancer patients (seven males and four females) who underwent transoral robotic RPLN dissection with the da Vinci surgical robotic system at the Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center from May 2019 to July 2020. Seven patients were diagnosed as nasopharyngeal carcinoma with RPLN metastasis after initial treatments, 4 patients were diagnosed as thyroid carcinoma with RPLN metastasis after initial treatments, and one patient was diagnosed as oropharyngeal carcinoma with RPLN metastasis before initial treatments. The operation procedure and duration time, intraoperative blood loss volume and complications, nasogastric feeding tube dependence, tracheostomy dependence, postoperative complications, and hospitalization time were recorded and analyzed. Results: All patients were successfully treated by transoral robotic dissection of the metastatic RPLNs, none of which was converted to open surgery. RPLNs were completely resected in 10 patients, and partly resected in 2 patients (both were nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients). The mean number of RPLN dissected was 1.7. The operation duration time and intraoperative blood loss volume were (191.3±101.1) min and (150.0±86.6) ml, respectively. There was no severe intraoperative complication such as massive haemorrhage or adjacent organ injury during surgery. Nasogastric tube use was required in all patients with (17.1±10.6) days of dependence, while tracheotomy was performed in 8 patients with (11.6±10.7) days of dependence. The postoperative hospitalization stay was (8.5±5.7) days. Postoperative complications occurred in 4 patients, including 2 of retropharyngeal incision and 2 of dysphagia. During a follow-up of (6.5±5.1) months, disease-free progression was observed in all patients, 10 patients were disease-free survival and other 2 patients were survival with tumor burden. Conclusions: The transoral robotic RPLN dissection is safety and feasible. Compared with the traditional open surgical approach, it is less traumatic and safer, has fewer complications and good clinical application potentiality. The indications for transoral robotic RPLN dissection include thyroid carcinoma, oropharyngeal carcinoma, and some selected nasopharyngeal carcinoma and other head and neck cancers. Metastatic RPLNs from some nasopharyngeal carcinoma with incomplete capsule, unclear border and adhesion to the surrounding vessels are not suitable for transoral robotic RPLN dissection.

[Application of near infrared fluorescence imaging in detection of residual cancer in oral squamous cell carcinoma]

Objective: Local recurrence is the main cause of treatment failure in patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). This study was proposed to investigate the feasibility of near infrared fluorescence (NIF) via indocyanine green (ICG) for monitoring surgical marginal in operation for OSCC patients. Methods: In 35 patients with OSCC treated surgically in the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Nanjing University School of Medicine, from January 2019 to June 2020, ICG (0.75 mg/kg) was administered intravenously via elbow vein at (12±1) hours before surgery, and NIF was performed intraoperatively on the surgical field and the cut edge of the surgically excised specimen, and fluorescence intensity was measured for OSCC tissue and normal oral mucosa, abnormal fluorescence signals were taken and subjected to rapid cryopathological examination. Correlation between NIF tumor boundary grading and pathological tumor boundary grading was analyzed by Spearman correlation analysis. Results: Clear ICG NIF was obtained for tumor lesions in all 35 patients, with a positive rate of 100%. The fluorescence intensity of OSCC tissue was (412.73±146.56) au, which was higher than that of normal oral mucosa tissue [(279.38±82.56) au, P<0.01]. Abnormal fluorescence signals were detected at the tumor bed and the cut edge of the surgical resection specimen in 4 patients, of which 2 cases were pathologically confirmed as cancer cell residue and 2 cases as inflammatory cell infiltration. The rate of positive detection of cut margins using ICG NIF technique in OSCC was 5.7% (2/35). Twenty of the 35 OSCC patients had grade 1, 11 of grade 2, and 4 of grade 3 tumor borders revealed by NIF of surgical resection specimens, which was positively correlated with pathological tumor border (r=0.809, P<0.001). Conclusions: ICG NIF technique can effectively detect the residual cancer cells at the incision margin, which is of great clinical value in reducing local recurrence of OSCC after surgery due to intraoperative cancer residue.

PREPARATION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF SELF-HEALING MAGNETORHEOLOGICAL ELASTOMERS

Magnetorheological elastomers (MREs) are a kind of active control smart material, and their critical problem is that their ferromagnetic particles are too large, which causes holes to develop and results in MREs with poor mechanical performance and fatigue resistance. In this work, liquid butadiene acrylonitrile rubber (NBR)-synthesized phenolic resin microcapsules were synthesized and applied to MREs as a self-healing agent, effectively reducing the number of holes caused by ferromagnetic particles. The structure of the self-healing agent was determined by Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The results indicated that a self-healing agent was successfully synthesized, the core of the capsule was spherical liquid nitrile rubber, and the wall of the capsule was composed of phenolic resin microspheres. Furthermore, the SEM images of the MREs showed that the number of cavities caused by ferromagnetic particles was greatly reduced after the addition of the self-healing agent, and the X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) results of the MREs indicated the formation of a chemical bond between Fe and O. In addition, the mechanical properties and fatigue resistance of the MRE materials with the self-healing agent were improved. Under 100% strain and with the same number of cycles, the crack growth rate of MREs without self-healing agent is faster by about 329%, and the crack length is longer by about 220% than those of MREs with self-healing agent.

[The characteristics of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and its associated factors in patients with rheumatoid arthritis]

Objective: To investigate the characteristics of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and its associated factors in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients. Methods: This cross-sectional study recruited 385 RA patients [including 72 (18.7%) male and 313 (81.3%) female] who received abdominal sonographic examination from August 2015 to May 2021 at Department of Rheumatology, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital. There were 28 RA patients at 16-29 years old and 32, 80, 121, 99, 25 at 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, 60-69, ≥ 70 years old, respectively. Demographic and clinical data were collected including age, gender, history of alcohol consumption, disease duration, body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, blood pressure, RA disease activity indicators and previous medications. Logistic regression analyses were used to identify the associated factors of NAFLD in RA patients. Results: The prevalence of NAFLD was 24.2% (93/385) in RA patients, 26.3% (21/80) in 40-49 age group and 33.1% (40/121) in 50-59 age group. There were 22.1% (85/385) and 3.6% (14/385) RA patients with overweight and obese, in which the prevalence of NAFLD was 45.9% (39/85) and 78.6% (11/14) respectively, which was 2.6 folds and 4.5 folds that of RA patients with normal BMI. Although there was no significant difference of age, gender and RA disease activity indicators between RA patients with or without NAFLD, those with NAFLD had higher proportions of metabolic diseases including obese (11.8% vs. 1.0%), central obesity (47.3% vs. 16.8%), hypertension (45.2% vs. 29.8%) and type 2 diabetes mellitus (24.7% vs. 12.0%), consistent with higher levels of total cholesterol [(5.33±1.31) mmol/L vs. (4.73±1.12) mmol/L], triglyceride [(1.51±1.08) mmol/L vs. (0.98±0.54) mmol/L] and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol [(3.37±0.97) mmol/L vs. (2.97±0.78) mmol/L, all P<0.05]. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that BMI (OR=1.314) and triglyceride (OR=1.809) were the independent factors positively associated with NAFLD in RA patients. Conclusion: NAFLD is a common comorbidity in RA patients, especially in those with middle-aged, overweight or obese, which is associated with high BMI or high triglyceride. Screening and management of NAFLD in RA patients especially those with overweight, obese or dyslipidemia should be emphasized.

Efficacy and Safety of Recombinant Human Adenovirus Type 5 (H101) in Persistent, Recurrent, or Metastatic Gynecologic Malignancies: A Retrospective Study

Background

To assess the efficacy and safety of recombinant human adenovirus type 5 (H101) in patients with persistent, recurrent, or metastatic gynecologic malignancies.

Methods

The study retrospectively enrolled patients with persistent/recurrent/metastatic gynecologic malignancies who received H101-containing treatment at The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University from September 1, 2019 to September 30, 2021. H101 was injected intratumorally into target lesions and dosage was calculated based on tumor diameter once a day for five consecutive days. The primary endpoint was local control (LC) rate. Secondary endpoints included objective response rate (ORR), duration of response (DOR) and progression-free survival (PFS). Safety was the exploratory endpoint. Depending on prior treatment, patients received H101 either as monotherapy or as a combination therapy.

Results

Totally, 29 patients were enrolled in the study. Median follow-up was 6.3 months (range: 3.2-27.9) from data analysis cut-off on December 31, 2021. The LC rate at 3 months was 44.8%, while ORR was 72.4%. Median DOR and PFS rates were not determined. The DOR rate, PFS rate at 6 and 12 months were 88.1%, 74.6% and 70.5%, 62.2%, respectively. Responses were observed in all four cancer types. Most treatment-related adverse events (90.5%) were grade 1 or 2, with the most common being fever (70%). Clinically significant adverse events were uncommon (7.9% in grade 3 and 1.6% in grade 4). No treatment-related deaths occurred.

Conclusion

Our study showed that H101 (either monotherapy or combination therapy) has promising efficacy and favorable safety in patients with persistent, recurrent, metastatic gynecologic malignancies.

[Regulatory effects of bio-intensity electric field on transformation of human skin fibroblasts]

Objective: To investigate the regulatory effects of bio-intensity electric field on the transformation of human skin fibroblasts (HSFs). Methods: The experimental research methods were used. HSFs were collected and divided into 200 mV/mm electric field group treated with 200 mV/mm electric field for 6 h and simulated electric field group placed in the electric field device without electricity for 6 h. Changes in morphology and arrangement of cells were observed in the living cell workstation; the number of cells at 0 and 6 h of treatment was recorded, and the rate of change in cell number was calculated; the direction of cell movement, movement velocity, and trajectory velocity within 3 h were observed and calculated (the number of samples was 34 in the simulated electric field group and 30 in 200 mV/mm electric field group in the aforementioned experiments); the protein expression of α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) in cells after 3 h of treatment was detected by immunofluorescence method (the number of sample was 3). HSFs were collected and divided into simulated electric field group placed in the electric field device without electricity for 3 h, and 100 mV/mm electric field group, 200 mV/mm electric field group, and 400 mV/mm electric field group which were treated with electric fields of corresponding intensities for 3 h. Besides, HSFs were divided into simulated electric field group placed in the electric field device without electricity for 6 h, and electric field treatment 1 h group, electric field treatment 3 h group, and electric field treatment 6 h group treated with 200 mV/mm electric field for corresponding time. The protein expressions of α-SMA and proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) were detected by Western blotting (the number of sample was 3). Data were statistically analyzed with Mann-Whitney U test, one-way analysis of variance, independent sample t test, and least significant difference test. Results: After 6 h of treatment, compared with that in simulated electric field group, the cells in 200 mV/mm electric field group were elongated in shape and locally adhered; the cells in simulated electric field group were randomly arranged, while the cells in 200 mV/mm electric field group were arranged in a regular longitudinal direction; the change rates in the number of cells in the two groups were similar (P>0.05). Within 3 h of treatment, the cells in 200 mV/mm electric field group had an obvious tendency to move toward the positive electrode, and the cells in simulated electric field group moved around the origin; compared with those in simulated electric field group, the movement velocity and trajectory velocity of the cells in 200 mV/mm electric field group were increased significantly (with Z values of -5.33 and -5.41, respectively, P<0.01), and the directionality was significantly enhanced (Z=-4.39, P<0.01). After 3 h of treatment, the protein expression of α-SMA of cells in 200 mV/mm electric field group was significantly higher than that in simulated electric field group (t=-9.81, P<0.01). After 3 h of treatment, the protein expressions of α-SMA of cells in 100 mV/mm electric field group, 200 mV/mm electric field group, and 400 mV/mm electric field group were 1.195±0.057, 1.606±0.041, and 1.616±0.039, respectively, which were significantly more than 0.649±0.028 in simulated electric field group (P<0.01). Compared with that in 100 mV/mm electric field group, the protein expressions of α-SMA of cells in 200 mV/mm electric field group and 400 mV/mm electric field group were significantly increased (P<0.01). The protein expressions of α-SMA of cells in electric field treatment 1 h group, electric field treatment 3 h group, and electric field treatment 6 h group were 0.730±0.032, 1.561±0.031, and 1.553±0.045, respectively, significantly more than 0.464±0.020 in simulated electric field group (P<0.01). Compared with that in electric field treatment 1 h group, the protein expressions of α-SMA in electric field treatment 3 h group and electric field treatment 6 h group were significantly increased (P<0.01). After 3 h of treatment, compared with that in simulated electric field group, the protein expressions of PCNA of cells in 100 mV/mm electric field group, 200 mV/mm electric field group, and 400 mV/mm electric field group were significantly decreased (P<0.05 or P<0.01); compared with that in 100 mV/mm electric field group, the protein expressions of PCNA of cells in 200 mV/mm electric field group and 400 mV/mm electric field group were significantly decreased (P<0.05 or P<0.01); compared with that in 200 mV/mm electric field group, the protein expression of PCNA of cells in 400 mV/mm electric field group was significantly decreased (P<0.01). Compared with that in simulated electric field group, the protein expressions of PCNA of cells in electric field treatment 1 h group, electric field treatment 3 h group, and electric field treatment 6 h group were significantly decreased (P<0.01); compared with that in electric field treatment 1 h group, the protein expressions of PCNA of cells in electric field treatment 3 h group and electric field treatment 6 h group were significantly decreased (P<0.05 or P<0.01); compared with that in electric field treatment 3 h group, the protein expression of PCNA of cells in electric field treatment 6 h group was significantly decreased (P<0.01). Conclusions: The bio-intensity electric field can induce the migration of HSFs and promote the transformation of fibroblasts to myofibroblasts, and the transformation displays certain dependence on the time and intensity of electric field.

[The influence of subjective comfort of working environment on occupational stress of railway station workers]

Objective: To explore the influential factors of job stress suffered by workers in railway stations, the level of job stress of were measured and subjective comfort of employees targeting to working environment were reported. Methods: In March 2019, a cluster sampling study was designed to collect the personal characteristics, job characteristics and subjective comfort degree of working environment of 432 employees in Chongqing railway stations. Meanwhile, job stress was assessed using the effort-reward imbalance scale. Chi-square test was used to compare the difference of occupational stress detection rate among different stratified factors such as occupational characteristics. Logistic regression was applied to analyze the influential factors of occupational stress. Results: The detection rate of job stress of workers in the railway stations was 31.02% (134/432) . The detection rate of job stress was higher among the divorced workers in railway stations, those earning less than 5, 000 yuan per month, those with 10-20 years' length of service, those who worked as a conductor and other workers including baggageman, station master on duty and assistant engineer (χ(2)=9.61, 14.76, 23.28, 11.06, P=0.008, 0.002, 0.000, 0.011) . The detection rate of job stress was higher among those whose working environment subjective feelings were uncomfortable, the differences were statistically significant (P<0.001) . The results showed that the occupational stress of the staff in the railway stations was influenced by their subjective feeling of air quality, noise and Space Layout (P<0.05) . The risk factors of occupational stress were air quality, noise and uncomfortable space layout (OR=0.571, 0.068, 0.441, P=0.051, 0.054, 0.007) . Conductor, other (Bellboy, Duty Station Master, assistant engineer) were the risk factors of occupational stress (OR=1.884, 2.703, P=0.065, 0.019) . The employees of station A and station B were the risk factors of occupational stress (OR=4.681, 1.811, P=0.002, 0.067) . Conclusion: The higher detection rate of job stress of workers in the railway stations is correlated with the subjective comfort degree of the working environment of the workers.

[The value of relaxation time quantitative technique from synthetic magnetic resonance imaging in the diagnosis and invasion assessment of prostate cancer]

Objective: To investigate the application value of relaxation time quantitative technique from synthetic magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in the diagnosis and invasion assessment of prostate cancer. Methods: A total of 119 patients with prostate diseases [122 regions of interest(ROI)] who underwent routine MRI scan and magnetic resonance image compilation (MAGiC) sequence of prostate from March 2020 to March 2021 in General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University were retrospectively collected, they were divided into prostate cancer group(58 cases, 61 ROI) and non-prostate cancer group(61 cases, 61 ROI) according to the pathological results. In the prostate cancer group, those patients with an age of 48 to 85(69.8±5.9) years, and further divided into two subgroups according to the location of occurrence: peripheral zone cancer group (43 cases, 45 ROI) and transitional zone cancer group (15 cases, 16 ROI). The non-prostate cancer group consisted of patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia or complicated with chronic prostatitis, with an age of 41 to 81(68.6±7.0) years, and they were further divided into two subgroups according to the location of occurrence: non-cancerous peripheral zone group (45 cases, 45 ROI) and transitional zone benign prostatic hyperplasia group(16 cases, 16 ROI). Prostate cancer lesions were classified as low risk (Gleason score ≤6) or intermediate/high risk (Gleason score ≥7). After the post-processing of MAGiC images, T₁, T₂ and proton density(PD) values of prostate cancer group and non-prostate cancer group were obtained. At the same time, relevant software were used for image post-processing to generate apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) value, the data between the two groups were analyzed by the Independent sample t-test or Mann-Whitney U-test, and the diagnostic effectiveness of each quantitative parameter in diagnosing prostate cancer and discriminating low risk prostate cancer from intermediate/high risk prostate cancer was analyzed by using receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) analysis, the correlation between each quantitative parameter and Gleason score were assessed by Spearman correlation analysis. Results: The T₁ value and T₂ value of the peripheral zone cancer group were lower than those in non-cancerous peripheral zone group [1 201.3 (1 103.5, 1 298.2) ms vs 2 274.0 (1 620.9, 2 776.5) ms; 78.0 (74.0, 83.8) ms vs (160.6±54.9) ms] (all P<0.001), there was no statistically significant in PD value between the two groups (P>0.05). The T₁ value and T₂ value of the transitional zone cancer group were lower than those in transitional zone benign prostatic hyperplasia group [1 073.3 (1 003.9, 1 164.9) ms vs 1 340.8 (1 208.5, 1 502.8) ms; 76.9 (74.8, 82.8) ms vs 95.1(82.8, 103.4) ms] (all P<0.001), there was no statistically significant in PD value between the two groups (P>0.05). The area under the curve (AUC) of T₂ value was similar with the ADC value in discriminating peripheral zone cancer group from non-cancerous peripheral zone group(0.963 vs 0.991, P=0.105), while in discriminating transitional zone cancer group from transitional zone benign prostatic hyperplasia group, the AUC of T₂ value、T₁ value and ADC value were similar(0.867, 0.930 vs 0.938, all P>0.05). ADC value, T₂ value all were negatively correlated with Gleason score (r=-0.747,-0.453, all P<0.001). T₂ value and ADC value demonstrated equivalent diagnostic performance in discriminating low risk from intermediate/high risk prostate cancer, and there were no statistically significant (AUC: 0.787 vs 0.943, P=0.069). Conclusions: Quantitative relaxation time T₁ and T₂ values derived from synthetic MRI can discriminate prostate cancer from other benign pathologies, and T₂ value have the equivalent diagnostic performance compared to ADC value. Synthetic MRI has high clinical application value, and T₂ value can distinguish low risk prostate cancer from intermediate/high risk prostate cancer.

[Epidemiological characteristics of local COVID-19 epidemics and control experience in routine prevention and control phase in China]

The COVID-19 pandemic is still ongoing in the world, the risk of COVID-19 spread from other countries or in the country will exist for a long term in China. In the routine prevention and control phase, a number of local COVID-19 epidemics have occurred in China, most COVID-19 cases were sporadic ones, but a few case clusters or outbreaks were reported. Winter and spring were the seasons with high incidences of the epidemics; border and port cities had higher risk for outbreaks. Active surveillance in key populations was an effective way for the early detection of the epidemics. Through a series of comprehensive prevention and control measures, including mass nucleic acid screening, close contact tracing and isolation, classified management of areas and groups at risk, wider social distancing and strict travel management, the local COVID-19 epidemics have been quickly and effectively controlled. The experiences obtained in the control of the local epidemics would benefit the routine prevention and control of COVID-19 in China. The occurrence of a series of COVID-19 case clusters or outbreaks has revealed the weakness or deficiencies in the COVID-19 prevention and control in China, so this paper suggests some measures for the improvement of the future prevention and control of COVID-19.

[Anemia prevalence and its influencing factors among students involved in the Nutrition Improvement Program for Rural Compulsory Education Students in 2019]

Objective: To analyze anemia prevalence and its influencing factors of students involved in the Nutritional Improvement Program for Rural Compulsory Education Students in 2019. Methods: From the 2019 surveillance system of the Nutrition Improvement Program for Rural Compulsory Education Students, 47 297 primary and middle school students aged 6-17 were included in the study. Hemoglobin level was tested according to the criteria of WHO 2011. Anemia prevalence of different genders, ages, and regions was analyzed. Results: The average hemoglobin level was 135.19 g/L, with the prevalence of anemia as 8.7% in the children aged 6-17. The prevalence of anemia was 10.0% in girls, higher than that in boys (7.4%). The prevalence rates in western and central areas were 9.8% and 7.1%, respectively. From northwest, southwest, central and south, east, north to northeast areas of China, the anemia rate appeared gradually decreasing (10.2%, 9.7%, 8.3%, 7.5%, 5.7% and 3.5%). The anemia prevalence rates were 8.0%, 8.3%, and 10.9% in children from the 6-, 11-, and 14-17 years age groups, respectively. Logistic regression models revealed that students from schools not using catering software (OR=1.482, 95%CI:1.296-1.694,P<0.001), schools not serving lunch (OR=1.241, 95%CI:1.103-1.395,P<0.001), and from relatively low-income families (OR=1.297, 95%CI:1.211-1.389, P<0.001) showed as risk factors for anemia. After supplementing students' dietary factors, the results showed that students who ate meat three or more times a week had a lower risk of anemia (OR=0.907, 95%CI:0.832-0.989, P=0.026). Conclusions: The Nutritional Improvement Program for Rural Compulsory Education Students had an essential impact on improving the anemia prevalence of primary and middle school students. Family income, school location, economic factors, school feeding, and students' diet programs all impacted the prevalence of anemia.

[Growth retardation of children and its influencing factors in the Nutrition Improvement Program for Rural Compulsory Education Students in 2019]

Objective: To understand the growth retardation among primary and secondary school students in areas covered by the Nutrition Improvement Program for Rural Compulsory Education Students and its influencing factors to provide evidence for improving the nutrition status of rural students in China. Methods: The multi-stage cluster random sampling method selected 1 550 969 primary and secondary school students aged 6-15 years from China's central and western regions. The ratio of male and female students was balanced. The height was measured, and the growth retardation of students was determined according to the Screening Criteria for School-age Children and Adolescents malnutrition (WS/T 456-2014), from the school and county questionnaire survey related factors. The number of cases and percentages described the growth retardation of students, and the χ² test was used for comparison between groups. Binary logistic regression was used to analyze students' growth retardation factors. Results: In 2019, the growth retardation rate of primary and secondary school students in areas covered by the Nutrition Improvement Program for Rural Compulsory Education Students was 5.7% (88 631/1 550 969), the growth retardation rate in the western part (7.1%, 66 167/927 954) was higher than that in the central part (3.7%,19 511/533 973) with difference statistically significant (P<0.001). The growth retardation rate of the boys (6.3%,50 665/803 851) were higher than that of girls (5.1%, 37 966/747 118), the difference was statistically significant (P<0.001). The growth retardation rate of primary school students in central China was 3.9%(14 914/380 598), higher than that of junior middle school students (3.0%,4 597/153 375, P<0.001). In contrast, the growth retardation rate of the western junior high school students (7.2%, 21 494/297 217) were higher than that of elementary school students (7.1%, 44 673/630 737), with a difference statistically significant (all P=0.009). Multi-factor logistic regression results showed that, in high income area (OR=0.829, 95%CI: 0.816-0.842, P<0.001), parents providing part of the meal cost (OR=0.948, 95%CI: 0.931-0.965, P<0.001), enterprises providing meals (OR=0.845, 95%CI: 0.805-0.887, P<0.001), schools providing milk (OR=0.780, 95%CI: 0.767-0.793, P<0.001), health education courses (OR=0.702, 95%CI: 0.682-0.723, P<0.001) and other local nutrition improvement efforts (OR=0.739, 95%CI: 0.720-0.758, P<0.001) were negatively correlated with the occurrence of growth retardation, The growth retardation rate of the students was lower. Conclusions: There appeared significant regional, gender, and age differences in the growth retardation rate of primary and middle school students in areas covered by the Nutrition Improvement Program for Rural Compulsory Education Students. Appropriate food supply in schools, health education courses, and parental participation in nutritional improvement was related to children's lower growth retardation rate.

[Status and influencing factors on the leftover school meals among students the Nutrition Improvement Program for Rural Compulsory Education Students in 2019]

Objective: To analyze the situation and influencing factors of school meals leftover among primary and secondary school students in the area of the Nutrition Improvement Program for Rural Compulsory Education Students, improve the quality of school meals, develop healthy dietary behavior, and reduce food waste. Methods: In 2019, among the 50 monitoring counties that implemented the Compulsory Education Student Nutrition Improvement Program, two primary schools and two junior schools were randomly selected according to different food supply patterns.This study randomly selected one or two classes from grade 3 to grade 9. Basic information and school meals of 26 778 students were collected by using a student questionnaire. Multivariate logistic regression was used to analyze the influencing factors of leftovers rate. Results: 54.93% (14 709) of students wasted school meals, in which the highest rate was the staple food, with the main reason as "not in favor". 11.87% (1 743) of the students wasted school meals 6-7 days a week, with 54.20% (7 957) of students wasted but in less amount. The leftover rate of staple food was the highest (29.78%), followed by vegetables and meat. The main reason of leftovers was that they didn't like this kind of food (33.52%). The rate of school meal waste was higher for girls (OR=1.19,95%CI:1.13-1.25), junior high school students (OR=1.17, 95%CI: 1.11-1.25), resident students (OR=1.06, 95%CI: 1.00-1.12), lower economic level (OR=1.06, 95%CI: 1.00-1.12), parents working outside their houses (OR=1.22, 95%CI: 1.13-1.30), health education classes (OR=1.70, 95%CI: 1.40-2.06), company-based meals (OR=1.89, 95%CI: 1.71-2.07) and school meals were not as good as home food(OR=1.89, 95%CI: 1.78-2.00)(P<0.05). Conclusions: It is common for poor rural primary and middle school students in central and western China to waste school meals, and the reasons were affected by many factors. Reducing food waste requires the joint efforts of individuals, families, schools and society.

[Research progress of adjuvant TACE therapy for liver cancer after radical resection]

Transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) is the most commonly used method for non-surgical treatment of liver cancer, and it is usually used as an adjuvant therapy in patients who have not developed intrahepatic metastases after surgical resection. Postoperative adjuvant TACE therapy may provide a prognostic benefit in liver cancer patients with high recurrence risk. This article reviews the research progress of adjuvant TACE therapy for liver cancer after radical resection.

[The clinical application of mobile internet remote guidance platform for vestibular rehabilitation]

Objective: To guide the patients with vertigo who are suitable for vestibular rehabilitation therapy (VRT), and to evaluate the curative effect through a remote guidance platform based on mobile internet. Methods: Adult outpatients, who were diagnosed as vestibular disorders and required VRT, were selected and conducted baseline evaluation and formulated vestibular rehabilitation plan according to their symptoms, diagnosis and vestibular function examination results. These patients downloaded and installed the mobile internet remote guidance platform app for VRT, and then registered and uploaded medical records. According to the VRT plan formulated by clinicians for patients, the platform launched corresponding exercise guidance videos to guide them to complete 4-week VRT exercise at home. Before and after VRT, the patients were scored with Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), Activities-specific Balance Confidence (ABC), Dizziness Handicap Inventory (DHI) and Self-rating Anxiety Scale (SAS). The rehabilitation effects were statistically analyzed by SigmaStat 4.0 software. Results: From October 2019 to October 2021, 233 patients with vertigo completed the registration of vestibular rehabilitation guidance platform, of whom 187 patients insisted on 4-week rehabilitation training and completed the scale evaluation. Among 187 patients, 65 were male and 122 were female; Age was (49.8±16.0) years; The medical history ranged from one to 192 months, with a median of eight months. Compared with that before rehabilitation exercise, the subjective feeling of vertigo in 170 patients was improved, and the overall effective rate was 90.9% (170/187). The subjective symptoms of vertigo were basically improved after rehabilitation training in patients with unilateral vestibular dysfunction, vestibular neuritis, sudden deafness with vertigo, Hunt syndrome and acoustic neuroma. There were significant differences in ABC, DHI and SAS scores before and after VRT (P<0.05). Of those patients with Meniere's disease in the intermittent period and the patients with Meniere's disease who underwent surgical treatment, more than 90% of their subjective symptoms of vertigo or dizziness improved after VRT, and there were significant differences in the scores of ABC, DHI and SAS before and after VRT exercise (P<0.05). In patients with vestibular migraine, 36.7% (11/30) had no improvement or even aggravation of subjective symptoms of vertigo after VRT, however, the DHI score after rehabilitation exercise was lower than that before exercise, and the difference was statistically significant (P<0.05). In patients with bilateral vestibular dysfunction, although most (6/8) subjective symptom scores were improved compared with those before exercise, there was no significant difference in ABC, DHI and SAS scores before and after rehabilitation (P>0.05). Conclusion: VRT with the help of vestibular rehabilitation mobile internet remote guidance platform can effectively improve the subjective symptoms of vertigo, balance ability and anxiety in patients with unilateral vestibular lesions.

[Analysis and management of delayed cerebrospinal fluid rhinorrhea after invasive pituitary adenoma surgery]

Objective: To investigate the related factors and treatments of delayed cerebrospinal fluid rhinorrhea (CFR) after invasive pituitary adenoma (IPA) surgery. Methods: One hundred and forty-two patients with IPA treated in Tianjin Huanhu Hospital from January 2014 to January 2019 were analyzed retrospectively, including 62 males and 80 females, aging from 38 to 67 years. The clinical data of patients before and after operation were collected. All patients with postoperative CFR underwent endoscopic CFR repair. During the operation, residual or recurrent pituitary adenomas were resected, the dura around the leak was enlarged and the necrotic tissue was removed. For those who still had fluid leakage after repair, the necrotic tissue was cleaned up, the leakage was filled and reinforced under endoscopy. Endoscopic rhinorrhea repair was performed if necessary. The cerebrospinal fluid leak was repaired with multi-layer materials. The related risk factors of delayed CFR after operation were analyzed. SPSS 19.0 software was used for statistical analysis. Results: Among the 142 patients in this group, 64 cases underwent total tumor resection and 78 cases underwent non-total tumor resection. They were followed up for 6 to 72 months. Thirty-one cases had delayed CFR, with an incidence of 21.83%, and occurred between 1 and 5 years postoperatively, with an average of 2.4 years. All 31 patients with delayed CFR underwent endoscopic CFR repair. The nasal endoscopy was rechecked at 2 weeks, 1 month, 3 months and 6 months after operation. Twenty-eight patients were repaired successfully after 1 operation, while 2 patients after 2 operations and 1 patient after 3 operations. These patients were followed up for 6 to 60 months, and no CFR occurred again. Univariate analysis showed that the degree of tumor resection, recurrence, size, texture, postoperative radiotherapy and operator experience were the risk factors of delayed CFR (all P<0.05). Multivariate analysis showed that the degree of tumor resection and recurrence were the highest independent risk factors for postoperative CFR, and tumor size, texture, postoperative radiotherapy and operator experience were the independent risk factors in this study. Conclusions: Delayed CFR after IPA is related to the degree of tumor resection, recurrence, size, texture, postoperative radiotherapy and the operator experience. It is necessary to completely remove the tumor under endoscope, to expand resection of the dura and necrotic tissue around the leak, to repair the defect with multi-layer materials, to follow-up closely and to repair timely after operation.

Bacillus subtilis inhibits intestinal inflammation and oxidative stress by regulating gut flora and related metabolites in laying hens

Bacillus subtilis is one of the most popular commercial probiotics used in farm animal production. However, its potential mechanisms are not very clear. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of dietary Bacillus subtilis on intestinal histomorphology, innate immunity, microbiota composition, transcriptomics, and related metabolomics. Twenty-four 48-week-old Lohman Pink-shell laying hens were randomly divided into two groups: a basic diet and the basic diet supplemented with Bacillus subtilis (0.5 g/kg) for a 9-week experiment. At the end of the experiment, tissues of the duodenum, ileum, and jejunum as well as cecal content of each bird were collected for microstructure, PCR, transcriptome, metabolome, and 16S rRNA analyses. The results showed that dietary Bacillus subtilis supplement had no effect on the intestinal microstructure. However, Bacillus subtilis increased mRNA expression of tight junction protein occludin (P < 0.05), while reduced mRNA expression of lipopolysaccharide-induced TNF factor (P < 0.01) in the duodenum. Moreover, transcriptomic results indicated that most of Bacillus subtilis supplement-induced differential genes were associated with inflammation and immunity, including cytochrome b-245 beta chain, transferrin, and purinergic receptor P2X 7, resulting in a decrease in Malondialdehyde level (P < 0.05) in the duodenum. In addition, at the genus level, Bacillus subtilis supplement enriched the potential beneficial bacteria, Candidatus_Soleaferrea (P = 0.02) but inhibited the harmful bacteria including Lachnospiraceae_FCS020_group, Ruminiclostridium, Lachnospiraceae_UCG-010, and Oxalobacter. Metabolomic results revealed that N-Acetylneuraminic acid and ADP were increased by fed Bacillus subtilis. These results suggest that dietary Bacillus subtilis could inhibit gut inflammation and improve antioxidative status and barrier integrity of the duodenum via regulating gut microbial composition in laying hens.

Anti-Inflammatory and Anti-Oxidant Activity of Ultra-Short Wave Diathermy on LPS-Induced Rat Lung Injury

We studied the lung-protective effect and mechanisms of the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects of ultra-short-wave diathermy (USWD) in a rat model of LPS-induced acute lung injury. Histological examination of the lung tissues was performed and the levels of oxidative stress-related factors and inflammatory cytokines were measured. It was shown that the lung injury score, the lung wet-to-dry weight ratio (W/D), oxidative stress-related factors malondialdehyde and acyl-CoA synthetase long-chain family member 4 (ACSL4), and inflammatory cytokines were increased after LPS administration, while USWD treatment reduced these parameters. In addition, superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase 4 were decreased in rats with LPS-induced acute lung injury, while USWD therapy up-regulated the expression of these enzymes. Thus, USWD could antagonize lung injury by inhibiting oxidative stress and inflammatory response in rats with acute lung injury. USWD can be a promising adjunctive treatment to counter oxidative stress and inflammation and a potential therapeutic candidate for the treatment of patients with this pathology.

Programmed Cell Death 1 (PD-1) and Programmed Cell Death Ligand 1 (PD-L1) inhibitors and adverse cardiovascular events: a population-based study

Funding Acknowledgements

Type of funding sources: None.

OnBehalf

Cardiovascular Analytics Group

Background

Programmed death-1 (PD-1) and programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) inhibitors are major classes of immune checkpoint inhibitors that are increasingly used for cancer treatment. However, they are associated with adverse cardiovascular events.

Purpose

To evaluate the cardiotoxicity of PD-1 and PD-L1 inhibitors, the present study aims to examine the incidence of new-onset cardiac complications in patients receiving PD-1 or PD-L1 inhibitors.

Methods

Patients receiving PD-1 or PD-L1 inhibitors since their launch up to December 31st, 2019 without pre-existing cardiac complications were included. Patient data were obtained using a territory-wide electronic health record database. The primary outcome was a composite of incident heart failure (HF), acute myocardial infarction (AMI), atrial fibrillation (AF) or atrial flutter followed up to August 31st, 2020. Propensity score matching between PD-L1 and PD-1 inhibitor use with a 1:1 ratio for patient demographics and comorbidities was performed.

Results

A total of 1925 patients were included. Over a median follow-up of 136 days (interquartile range [IQR]: 42-279), 318 (16.51%) patients met the primary outcome after PD-1/PD-L1 treatment: 242 (incidence rate [IR]: 12.57%) with HF, 38 (IR: 1.97%) with AMI, 53 (IR: 2.75%) with AF, 6 (IR: 0.31%) with atrial flutter. Compared with PD-1 inhibitor treatment, PD-L1 inhibitor treatment was significantly associated with a lower risk of composite outcome after matching (HR: 0.78, 95% CI: [0.62-0.99], P value = 0.0417). Patients who developed cardiovascular complications had shorter average readmission intervals and more hospitalization episodes after treatment with PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors both before and after matching (P value &lt; 0.0001).

Conclusions

Compared with PD-1 inhibitor users, PD-L1 inhibitor users had a significantly lower risk of new-onset composite cardiovascular complications. Abstract Figure. Kaplan-Meier survival curve

Clustering analysis based on automated electrocardiographic measurements to identify prognostically distinct phenotypes in patients hospitalized for heart failure: a retrospective cohort study

Funding Acknowledgements

Type of funding sources: None.

Background

Heart failure (HF) is a heterogeneous disease with complex structural and electrophysiological derangements of the heart. Attempts to classify HF from the electrophysiological perspective are lacking.

Purpose

To use electrocardiographic (ECG) data for phenotypic classification of patients with HF.

Methods

In this retrospective cohort study, all adult patients hospitalized for HF during 2010-2016 at a tertiary center were included. Automated measurements of the first ECG obtained during the index admission were recorded. K-means clustering using premorbid conditions and selected ECG measurements were used to classify the cohort into four mutually exclusive clusters. The primary (all-cause and cardiovascular mortality) and secondary (ventricular arrhythmia (VA)) outcomes were compared between clusters using Cox regression analysis.

Results

In total, 2849 patients (1363 males, age 75.1 ± 13.4 years) were included. Over a mean follow-up period of 5.37 ± 4.10 years, all-cause and cardiovascular mortality occurred in 2071 (72.7%) and 600 (21.1%) patients respectively, while VA occurred in 110 patients (3.9%). Cluster 1 was characterised by a low heart rate and low ventricular activation time (VAT). Cluster 2 was characterised by old age, low absolute QRS area, and high QTc and QT dispersion. Cluster 3 was characterised by young age, and left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH), and few had history of VA. Cluster 4 was characterised by wide QRS, hypertension, ischaemic heart disease, high VAT, and high absolute T wave area. Cluster 4 had the highest and cluster 1 the lowest risks of all-cause (hazard ratio (HR) 2.96 [1.09, 1.50], p = 0.003; Figure A) and cardiovascular mortality (HR 2.90 [1.15, 2.11], p = 0.004; Figure B). Meanwhile, cluster 2 had the highest risk of VA (HR 2.23 [1.09, 3.85], p = 0.025; Figure C) while clusters 1 and 3 similarly had the lowest risks.

Conclusion

HF presents with clinically and electrophysiologically distinct phenotypes. Clustering analysis is useful in identifying HF phenotypes which are prognostically significant. Abstract Figures A, B, and C

[Non-erythrocyte blood products transfusion in very preterm and extremely preterm infants in Chinese neonatal intensive care units]

Objective: To describe the use of non-erythrocyte blood products transfusion in very preterm and extremely preterm infants in the neonatal intensive care units (NICU) of the Chinese Neonatal Network (CHNN) in 2019, to explore the disparity between different centers, and to further investigate the rationality and standardability of non-erythrocyte blood products transfusion. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study based on the CHNN cohort of very preterm and extremely preterm infants. All 6 598 infants with gestational age (GA)<32 weeks and admitted to the 57 NICU of CHNN within 24 h of life in 2019 were enrolled. Non-erythrocyte blood products included platelet, plasma, albumin, immunoglobulin, cryoprecipitate and prothrombin complex. Infants who received at least one type of non-erythrocyte blood products were defined in transfusion group. The comparison between infants with and without transfusion was done by t-test, rank-sum test or χ² test as appropriate. Linear regression model was used to generate adjusted transfusion rate of each center, and to investigate the correlation between adjusted rate and center-level characteristics. Results: A total of 6 598 infants were enrolled in the study, with gestational age of 30.0 (28.7, 31.0) weeks and birth weight of (1 353±312) g, and 43.6 % (2 877) of them were female. Among them, 42.7% (2 816) infants were enrolled in transfusion group, with the times of transfusion as 3 (1, 6) times. Compared to the infants without any transfusion of non-erythrocyte blood products, those infants received transfusion had lower gestational age (Z=17.62, P<0.01), lower birth weight (t=18.64, P<0.01), higher proportion of small-for-gestation age (χ²=31.06, P<0.01), multiple birth (χ²=12.82, P<0.01) and intensive resuscitation in delivery room (χ²=287.52, P<0.01), as well as lower proportion of females (χ²=10.68, P<0.01) and even lower proportion of infants born in this hospital (χ²=78.23, P<0.01). Among the entire study population, albumin (25.4%, 1 674 cases), immunoglobulin (21.5%, 1 417 cases) and plasma (18.9%, 1 245 cases) were the most commonly used non-erythrocyte blood products. Overall, 60.4% (544/901) infants with gestational age <28 weeks received transfusion 4 (2, 8) times. A total of 39.9% (2 272/5 697) infants between 28-31weeks received non-erythrocyte blood products 3 (1, 6) times. The non-erythrocyte blood products transfusion rates of critically-ill and non-critically-ill infants were 62.2% (1 693/2 723) and 29.0% (1 123/3 875) respectively, and the transfusion times were 4 (2,7) and 2 (1,4) times. The transfusion rates varied significantly among different NICU, and the disparities remained obvious after adjustment (adjusted χ²=153.48, P<0.01). Conclusion: Near half of very preterm and extremely preterm infants admitted to Chinese NICU in 2019 receive non-erythrocyte blood products during hospitalization with significant disparities among different hospitals.

[The characteristics and associated factors of functional limitation in patients with rheumatoid arthritis]

Objective: To investigate the characteristics of functional limitation and associated factors in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Methods: Consecutive patients with RA were recruited from August 2015 to June 2019 at Department of Rheumatology, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital. Demographic and clinical characteristics including age, gender, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), visual analogue scale (VAS) of pain, clinical disease activity index (CDAI), modified total Sharp score were collected. Physical function was assessed by the Stanford health assessment questionnaire disability index (HAQ-DI).Ordered logistic regression was used to analyze the related factors of HAQ-DI. Results: A total of 643 RA patients were finally recruited including 114 males and 529 females with mean age (49.7±12.9) years. There were 399 (62.1%) patients having different degrees of functional limitation, who were classified as mild (293, 45.6%), moderate (73, 11.4%) and severe (33, 5.1%). The prevalence of functional limitation was positively correlated with age and disease activity. The most restricted activity was walking [43.5% (280/643)], followed by gripping [36.1% (232/643)], reaching [35.5% (228/643)], daily activities [33.4% (215/643)], hygiene [33.0% (212/643)], dressing and grooming [29.7% (191/643)] and arising [29.1% (187/643)], and the last eating [18.4% (118/643)]. Multivariate ordered logistic regression analysis showed that age (OR=1.019, 95%CI 1.004-1.035),pain VAS (OR=1.820, 95%CI 1.616-2.050), ESR (OR=1.009, 95%CI 1.001-1.017), CDAI (OR=1.080, 95%CI 1.059-1.102) and modified total Sharp score (OR=1.010, 95%CI 1.004-1.015) were associated factors of functional limitation. Conclusion: The majority RA patients have functional limitation. Age, pain and active disease are independent associated factors. Therefore, target treatment and control of pain should be emphasized in RA patients.

Association between the Lymphocyte-to-C-Reactive Protein Ratio and Survival Outcomes in Cancer Patients with GLIM-Defined Malnutrition: A Multicenter Study

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

This study assessed the prognostic value of LCR in patients with cancer-associated malnutrition (CAM). Systemic inflammatory markers, particularly the lymphocyte-to-C-reactive protein ratio (LCR), are related to the survival of patients with CAM. The present retrospective analysis based on a prospective multicenter cohort study, which involved 1,437 hospitalized patients with CAM.

METHODS

The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) of ten inflammatory indicators-LCR, advanced lung cancer inflammation index, neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio, prognostic nutritional index, modified Glasgow prognostic score, systemic immune-inflammation index, albumin-to-globulin ratio, LCR score, glucose-to-lymphocyte ratio, and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio-were constructed. Nutritional status, blood markers, and quality of life (QoL) were evaluated within 48 h of admission. The overall survival (OS) was evaluated from September 1 to December 29, 2021.

RESULTS

A total of 1,431 cancer patients diagnosed with malnutrition based on the Global Leadership Initiative on Malnutrition (GLIM) criteria. Male patients were 62.8% of all, and the mean age was 60.66 years old. The AUC of LCR was higher than that of other inflammatory markers. The restricted cubic spline (RCS) of the Hazard ratios (HRs) showed an inverse L-shaped relationship with LCR. In addition, patients with low LCR had significantly poorer OS than those with high LCR. The addition of LCR to the model increased the predictive ability of 1-year mortality (AUC increase of 0.036), 3-year mortality (AUC increase of 0.038), and 5-year mortality (AUC increase of 0.031).

CONCLUSIONS

Assessing the LCR can help the medical staff identify cancer patients with nutritional deficiency at high risk of oncological outcomes and develop individualized therapeutic strategies.

[Diagnosis and treatment of 21-hydroxylase deficiency with testicular adrenal rest tumors:a report of three cases and literature review]

Objective: To provide insight into the diagnosis for clinicians, the clinical characteristics, diagnosis and treatment history of 3 patients with 21-hydroxylase deficiency (21-OHD) and testicular adrenal rest tumors (TART) were analyzed. Methods: The clinical, laboratory and imaging data of 3 male patients with 21-OHD and TART, confirmed with CYP21 gene sequencing, from May 2010 to May 2021 in the First Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital were analyzed retrospectively. The treatment strategy and clinical outcome were followed up. Results: All the 3 patients were first diagnosed with bilateral adrenal mass at the age of 27-42 years old. They were 145-162 cm tall. The levels of progesterone, 17-hydroxyprogesterone, and adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) of the 3 patients were relatively high, and that of luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) of the 3 patients were low. Testosterone level of 1 patient was significantly elevated, and that of the other 2 patients was below the lower limit of normal range. Testicular ultrasound showed heterogeneous hyperechoic masses in both testes. CT of the adrenal glands showed bilateral adrenal enlargement with mass. All 3 patients were treated with dexamethasone. After 4-96 months of follow-up, 17-hydroxyprogesterone level was kept above the median normal level. One of the patients got married and had a baby after treatment. The sizes of adrenal hyperplasia and testicular masses reduced to various degrees with the change of the testicular masses being proportional to that of adrenal hyperplasia. Conclusions: Patients with 21-OHD are prone to have TART, leading to the impaired testicular function. Early glucocorticold therapy is beneficial to the reduction of TART and restoration of testicular function.

Association between Preoperative hs-crp/Albumin Ratio and Postoperative sirs in Elderly Patients: A Retrospective Observational Cohort Study

OBJECTIVES

Systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) is one of the severe postoperative complications in elderly patients and seriously affects their prognosis and survival rate. Heretofore, there have been no reliable and accurate methods to predict postoperative SIRS in elderly patients. The aim of this study was to determine whether increased preoperative hs-CRP/albumin ratio (CAR) was associated with postoperative SIRS in elderly population.

METHODS

The data of patients aged ≥ 65 years who underwent general anesthesia in two centers of Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University between January 2015 and September 2020 were retrieved and analyzed. Based on the perioperative dataset, we used the targeted maximum likelihood estimation (TMLE) to estimate the association between preoperative CAR and postoperative SIRS in elderly population. Patients' CAR was calculated and divided into two groups (< 0.278 and ≥ 0.278) according to its normal range in our hospital. Adjusted odd ratios (aORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated respectively. Further sensitivity analyses were conducted to evaluate the robustness of the results.

RESULTS

A total of 16141 elderly patients were accessed and 7009 of them were enrolled in the final analysis, and 1674 (23.9%) patients developed SIRS within 3 days after surgery. Compared with non-SIRS patients, patients with SIRS had a significantly longer postoperative hospitalization, higher cost and higher risk of in-hospital mortality. Compared with patients with preoperative CAR < 0.278, we found that CAR ≥ 0.278 had a significantly higher risk for the development of postoperative SIRS after multivariable adjustment [aOR = 1.27; 95% CI (1.21, 1.33)]. The interaction effect of preoperative CAR ≥ 0.278 and SIRS was stronger among patients with the following characteristics: aged ≥ 75 years, male, comorbid with diabetes mellitus and admitted to ICU after surgery, duration of surgery < 120 minutes, underwent cerebral surgery or skin, spine and joint surgery (all P < 0.001). The above results remained robust in the sensitivity analysis.

CONCLUSIONS

Preoperative CAR ≥ 0.278 was significantly associated with increased risk of postoperative SIRS in elderly patients. Special attention should be paid to elderly patients with a preoperative CAR ≥ 0.278 so as to reduce the incidence of postoperative SIRS.

[Exploring and bioinformatics analysis of differentially expressed genes in bronchial asthma]

Objective: To screen core differentially expressed genes of bronchial asthma and conduct bioinformatics analysis. Methods: Macrophage microarray data GSE22528 from asthma patients were downloaded from gene expression database (GEO). The dataset included transcriptome information from 10 human alveolar lavage fluid samples, and five of them were from allergic asthmatic subjects and five from control subjects. Differential expression genes (DEGs) were screened by R 4.0.4 software. Gene ontology (GO) function and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analysis were performed to select DEGs using DAVID 6.8 database. Protein interaction network (PPI) was constructed from DEGs encoded proteins using STRING online database. Cytoscape software was used to construct core modules and determine core DEGs. Results: Alveolar lavage fluid samples were all collected from Caucasian Canadians, with age range as (20, 37) and (18, 36) years, respectively, including 3 males for each group. In asthmatic patients, 449 genes were up-regulated and 47 down-regulated. GO analysis showed that the up-regulated genes in asthmatic patients were mainly involved in biological processes such as response to folded proteins, and the molecular function was focused on binding of folded proteins and growth factors. Down-regulated genes were mainly involved in biological processes such as histone deacetylation and ubiquitin-mediated protein degradation, and their molecular functions focused on histone deacetylation activity. KEGG pathway enrichment analysis showed that pathways were mainly enriched by up-regulation genes, involving Hippo signaling pathway, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, estrogen signaling pathway, arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy, basal cell carcinoma, neuro-activated receptor ligand interaction, dilated cardiomyopathy and adhesion and connection signaling pathways. Two core modules were obtained by PPI analysis, and 14 core DEGs were screened out. They were pro-melanin concentrating hormone (PMCH), prepronociceptin (PNOC), Sphingosinol-1-phosphate receptor 2 (S1PR2), Sphingosinol-1-phosphate receptor 5 (S1PR5), CC-type chemokine ligand 21 (CCL21), Kelch-like protein 25 (KLHL25), ubiquitin binding enzyme E2V2 (UBE2V2), F-box protein 17 (FBXO17), taste receptor type 2 member 3 (TAS2R3), somatostatin receptor 2 (SSTR2), metabolic glutamate receptor 2 (GRM2), Lister E3 ubiquitin protein ligase 1 (LTN1), LIM domain specific protein 7 (LMO7) and ring finger protein 19A gene(RNF19A), in which LTN1 and UBE2V2 were down-regulated and the rest were up-regulated. Conclusion: DEGs was found in macrophages of asthmatic and control individuals. PMCH, PNOC, S1PR2, S1PR5 and CCL21 might be the core genes in the pathological process of asthma.

[Human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells improve steroid resistance of human airway epithelial BEAS-2B cells in vitro]

Objective: To explore the effect of human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells(MSC) on the steroid resistance of human airway epithelial cells. Methods: Ovalbumin (OVA)/lipopolysaccharide (LPS) were used to construct steroid resistant BEAS-2B cells, which were then co-cultured with MSC. Groups were set as follows: blank group, model group, Glucocorticoid group, MSC group, MSC+Glucocorticoid group (MSC+bud group). The expression of interleukin (IL)-8 in the cell supernatant was detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA); the expression of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the cells was detected by flow cytometry; the expression of glucocorticoid receptor α (GRα) and histone deacetylase 2 (HDAC2) protein in the cell was detected by Western blotting; and the expression of GRα and HDAC2 mRNA was detected by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RTPCR). Results: The expression level of IL-8 in the MSC group was significantly lower than that in the Glucocorticoid group (31.7±0.7 vs. 49.8±3.6, P<0.01). The expression of ROS in the MSC group was significantly lower than that in the Glucocorticoid group (2754±154 vs.4624±228, P<0.05). The expression level of HDAC2 mRNA in the MSC group was significantly higher than that in the Glucocorticoid group(1.749±0.005 vs. 1.283±0.098, P<0.05). The expression level of GRα mRNA in the MSC group was significantly higher than that in the Glucocorticoid group (1.623±0.079 vs.1.047±0.220, P<0.01). The expression of HDAC2 protein in the MSC group was significantly higher than that in the Glucocorticoid group (1.067±0.100 vs. 0.620±0.083, P<0.01). The expression of GRα protein in the MSC group was significantly higher than that in the Glucocorticoid group (0.834±0.053 vs. 0.579±0.017, P<0.01). ROS was positively correlated with the IL-8 expression (r=0.796, P<0.01) and negatively correlated with the HDAC2 and GRα mRNA expression (r=-0.893 3, P<0.01; r=0.931 4, P<0.01, respectively), as well as the HDAC2 and GRα Protein expression (r=-0.929 5, P<0.01;r=-0.864 3, P<0.01, respectively). Conclusions: Human MSC can improve steroid resistance of airway epithelial cells in an exocrine manner. The mechanism may be related to the down-regulation of ROS and up-regulation of HDAC2, which lead to GRα overexpression. In addition, MSC may improve the steroid resistance by reducing the expression of IL-8.