[Comparison of clinical efficacy of simple double-row suture bridge technique and double-row suture bridge technique combined with type Ⅱ "Chinese way" in the treatment of huge rotator cuff injury]

Objective: To compare the postoperative efficacy of simple double-row suture bridge technique and double-row suture bridge technique combined with type Ⅱ "Chinese way" in treating huge massive rotator cuff injury. Methods: The clinical data of 74 patients with unilateral massive rotator cuff injury admitted to Department of Orthopedic, Beijing Chaoyang Hospital, Capital Medical University, from January 2019 to September 2021 were retrospectively analyzed. There were 39 males and 35 females, aged (60.2±7.8) years (range: 42 to 77 years). During operation, 44 patients were treated with single double-row suture bridge technique (the simple group), and 30 patients were treated with double-row suture bridge technique combined with type Ⅱ "Chinese way" treatment (the combined group). In the simple group, only internal and external row anchors were used to fix the fractured rotator cuff, while in the combined group, the biceps long head tendon was first transposed to the footprint area and fixed with an internal row anchor tail thread, and then the remaining rotator cuff fracture was repaired with double-row suture bridge technique. The operation conditions were recorded. The range of motion of shoulder joint, visual analogue scale (VAS), American Society for Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES) score, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) score, Constant-Murley shoulder joint score before operation, 6 months after operation and at the last follow-up were compared between the two groups. Postoperative complications and imaging results were recorded. The difference values of each observation index before and after operation were calculated. The repeated measures analysis of variance was used for repeated measurement data, and LSD multiple comparison method was used for the data at different time points in the two groups. Results: All the patients successfully completed the operation, and no serious complications occurred during or after operation. The patients were followed up for (14.6±5.4) months (range: 6 to 24 months). In all patients, the shoulder range of motion, VAS, ASES score, UCLA score and Constant-Murley shoulder score at 6 months after operation and at the last follow-up were significantly improved compared with those before operation (all P<0.01), and the results at the last follow-up were also better than those at 6 months after operation (all P<0.01). The results of the combined group at 6 months after operation and at the last follow-up (all P<0.01) were better than those of the single group. At 6 months after operation and at the last follow-up, the anteroposternal X-ray showed no significant progress in the degeneration of shoulder joint. Of the 27 patients who completed MRI during follow-up, 14 patients re-injured of reconstructed rotator cuff tissue (type Ⅳ and type Ⅴ) was found in 14 cases, the incidence was 22.7% (10/44) in the simple group and 13.3%(4/30) in the combined group. There was no significant difference between the two groups(χ²=1.026, P=0.311). Conclusion: Compared with the simple double-row suture bridge technique, the method of double-row suture bridge technique combined with type Ⅱ "Chinese way" for repairing massive rotator cuff injury has better effect on improving the short-term pain symptoms, joint range of motion, restoring joint function, and has lower incidence of complications.

SrB4O7:Sm2+ fluorescence improves the accuracy of temperature measurements in externally heated diamond anvil cells

The sample temperature in an externally heated diamond anvil cell (EHDAC) is generally measured by a thermocouple fixed to the pavilions of diamond anvils, ignoring the temperature difference between the thermocouple and the sample. However, the measured temperature depends strongly on the placement of the thermocouple, thus seriously reducing the accuracy of the temperature measurement and hindering the use of EHDAC in experiments requiring precise temperature measurements, such as high-pressure melting and phase-diagram investigations. In this study, the full width at half maximum (FWHM) of the 0-0 fluorescence line of strontium borate doped with bivalent samarium ions (SrBO₄:Sm²⁺, SBO) is found to be highly sensitive to temperature and responds extremely rapidly to small temperature fluctuations, which makes it an excellent temperature indicator. We propose herein a precise method to measure temperature that involves measuring the FWHM of the 0-0 fluorescence line of SBO. This method is used to correct the temperature discrepancy between the thermocouple and the sample in an EHDAC. These corrections significantly improve the accuracy of temperature measurements in EHDACs. The accuracy of this method is verified by measuring the melting point of tin at ambient pressure. We also use this method to produce a tentative elementary phase diagram of tin up to 109 GPa and 495 K. This method facilitates high-pressure, high-temperature experiments demanding accurate temperature measurements in various disciplines. The study also discusses, in general, the experimental approach to measuring temperature.

[Bioinformatics analysis of core differentially expressed genes in hepatitis B virus-related hepatocellular carcinoma]

OBJECTIVE

To identify the core genes associated with the development and progression of hepatitis B virus (HBV)-related hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), so as to provide insights into the elucidation of pathogenesis of HBV-related HCC.

METHODS

GSE55092 and GSE121248 datasets were downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. The differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between HCC and peri-cancer tissues were screened using the R package, and the volcano map of DEGs were plotted. The DEGs were subjected to Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analyses, and a protein-protein interaction (PPI) network was created. The hub DEGs were screened using Molecular Complex Detection (MCODE) and cytoHubba plugins in the open-access platform Cytoscape 3.9.0. Then, the screened hub DEGs were validated for differential expression and survival analysis using clinical sample data captured from the UALCAN and Kaplan Meier-plotter databases.

RESULTS

A total of 1 148 and 686 DEGs were screened between HCC and peri-cancer tissues in GSE55092 and GSE121248 datasets, including 703 and 477 down-regulated genes and 445 and 209 up-regulated genes, respectively. A total of 557 common DEGs were screened between GSE55092 and GSE121248 datasets, including 384 down-regulated genes and 173 up-regulated genes. GO enrichment analysis showed that these DEGs were significantly enriched in biological processes of cell division, cell proliferation, redox process, immune response and proteolysis, cellular components of cell nucleus, cytoplasm, extracellular vesicle and endoplasmic reticulum membrane, and molecular functions of binding to calcium ion, protein kinase, DNA and heme. KEGG pathway analysis revealed that these DEGs were significantly enriched in pathways of cell cycle, oocyte meiosis, metabolic pathway, antibiotic biosynthesis and p53 signaling. PPI network analysis identified 10 DEGs, including CDK1, CCNB1, CCNA2, TOP2A, AURKA, CCNB2, KIF11, CDC20, KIF20A and BUB1B, and CDK1, KIF11 and KIF20A were found to be differentially expressed and correlate with poor prognosis among HBV-related HCC patients following clinical sample data validation.

CONCLUSIONS

CDK1, KIF11 and KIF20A may play a critical role in the development and progression of HBV-related HCC, which may be potential diagnostic biomarkers and therapeutic targets of HBV-related HCC.

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

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

[Comparison of time series and case-crossover analyses in environmental epidemiology]

Time-series and case-crossover are two main study designs in environmental epidemiology. However, due to the differences in design principles and model construction between the two analyses, the results of the two analyses may not be consistent. Herein, we examined the short-term effect of cold spells on cardiovascular mortality in Nanjing using both time series and case-crossover analyses, aiming to provide a basis for the selection of appropriate research design in environmental epidemiology.

Incidence of cardiovascular events in patients treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors

Background

In rare cases, immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) cause immune-mediated myocarditis. However, the true incidence of other major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) following ICI treatment remains unknown, mainly because late occurring side effects are rarely reported in prospective clinical trials.

Purpose

To identify the incidence and risk factors of MACE in a real-life ICI-treated cancer cohort and to compare the incidence with non-ICI-treated cancer patients and population controls.

Methods

In total, 672 ICI-treated patients were included. The primary endpoint was MACE, a composite of acute coronary syndrome, heart failure, stroke and transient ischemic attack. Secondary outcomes were acute coronary syndrome and heart failure separately. Incidence rates were compared between groups after matching according to age, sex, cardiovascular history and cancer type.

Results

Incidence of MACE was 10.3% during a median time of follow-up of 13 months (IQR 6 to 22). In multivariable analysis, a history of heart failure (hazard ratio (HR): 2.27; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.03 to 5.04; p=0.043) and valvular heart disease (HR 3.01; 95% CI: 1.05 to 8.66; p=0.041) remained significantly associated with MACE.

Cumulative incidence rates were significantly higher in the matched ICI group (rate at full range of follow-up (rate): 8.51; 95% CI: 6.18 to 11.4) compared with the cancer cohort not exposed to ICI (rate: 5.20; 95% CI: 3.56 to 7.35; p=0.032) and the population controls (rate: 2.55; 95% CI: 2.16 to 2.99; p&lt;0.001) mainly driven by a higher risk of heart failure events (Figure 1).

Conclusions

Cardiovascular events during and after ICI treatment are more common than currently appreciated. Patients at risk are those with a history of cardiovascular disease. Compared with matched cancer and population controls, MACE incidence rates are significantly higher, suggesting a potential harmful effect of ICI treatment besides the underlying risk.

Funding Acknowledgement

Type of funding sources: None.

Lung cancer screening study from a smoking population in Kunming

OBJECTIVE

Yunnan, China, is a central tobacco-producing region with a large smoking population and an increasing incidence of lung cancer in recent years. This study aimed to understand the incidence of lung cancer and the characteristics of lung nodules on low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) scans of the chest in a long-term smoking population in Kunming.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Long-term smokers in Kunming who were not at risk of evident lung disease symptoms were recruited through recommendation and publicity by the Kunming University of Science and Technology.

RESULTS

Among 375 cases eligible for inclusion,14 cases of lung cancer were detected with a detection rate of 3.73% (95% CI: 2.55%-4.27%), including one case of squamous carcinoma, one case of small cell lung cancer, seven cases of adenocarcinoma of the lung and five cases of early-stage lung cancer (35.71%). In the group of < 6 mm solid nodules and < 5 mm non-solid nodules, no lung cancer was detected in 201 cases; lung cancer was detected in 14 cases in 61 cases, and there was a statistical difference between the two groups (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

The lung cancer detection rate in long-term smokers was high, with the type predominantly adenocarcinoma and a high incidence of lung nodules, and increased when solid nodules≥6 mm or non-solid nodules ≥ 5 mm were present. It is recommended that screening for lung cancer by LDCT of the chest be introduced in the male smoking population who meet the risk factors and that screening for lung cancer in women should be redefined as a high-risk factor.

Comparison of amino acid digestibility and its additivity determined with slaughter or cecectomy method for yellow-feather chicken

The objective of this experiment was to compare the slaughter and cecectomy methods to determine amino acid (AA) digestibility of corn and soybean meal and their additivity in a corn-soybean meal diet. A completely randomized design was adopted to determine endogenous AA losses (EAAL) and AA digestibility in each of corn, soybean meal, and a corn-soybean meal diet using either slaughter or cecectomy methods. Each treatment contained 6 replicates with 3 chickens per replicate. The endogenous loss (EL) of histidine and glycine was lower and the EL of methionine and phenylalanine was greater when determined by slaughter vs. cecectomy (P < 0.05). The EL of arginine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, valine, alanine, aspartic acid, glutamic acid, and serine determined by slaughter were 1.2 to 3.2 times of those from cecectomy. The standard error (SE) of EL of 14 AA (excluding histidine and glycine) obtained by slaughter method was 2.1 to 9.6 times of those by cecectomy method. The apparent and standardized digestibility was not affected by methods for most AA except apparent digestibility of methionine, phenylalanine and glycine, and standardized digestibility of glycine in corn. The apparent and standardized digestibility of most AA except apparent digestibility of glycine and standardized digestibility of lysine, cysteine and glycine were less for slaughter versus cecectomy methods in soybean meal (P < 0.05). Using slaughter method resulted in reduced apparent digestibility of 15 AA (except glycine) and reduced standardized digestibility of 7 AA (arginine, isoleucine, leucine, valine, aspartic acid, glutamic acid, and proline) relative to cecectomy method (P < 0.05), but the standardized digestibility of glycine was greater when determined by slaughter vs. cecectomy methods in corn-soybean meal diet (P < 0.05). The mean value of SE of 16 AA digestibility in slaughter method was 2.9 times of that by cecectomy method. The apparent digestibility of 2 and 9 of 16 AA and the standardized digestibility of 15 and 7 of 16 AA were additive when using slaughter and cecectomy determinations, respectively. In conclusion, compared to the slaughter method, cecectomy method had less SE and EAAL but greater apparent digestibility of methionine and phenylalanine in corn, and the apparent digestibility of 15 AA (except glycine) in soybean meal and corn-soybean meal diet. Additivity in apparent and standardized AA digestibility was more inconsistent when determined with slaughter vs. cecectomy methods. These findings suggest that the cecectomy method is more suitable than the slaughter method to determine the digestibility of AA.

An intubation method for mono-pulmonary ventilation in patients with difficult airway

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to compare the clinical effect between thermal softening PVC double-lumen tube (DLT) and single-lumen tube (SLT) guided by laryngoscope and bronchoscopy in patients with difficult airways.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

72 patients with chest surgery in need of mono-pulmonary ventilation, aged 20-70 years old, with ASA rating I-III and Arné scoring ≥ 11, were enrolled. Patients were categorized randomly into two groups with 36 patients in each: the D group (DLT was used) and the S group (SLT was used). Bronchoscopy was used for guiding the intubation and aligning in both groups. Laryngoscope would also be used immediately after failure in two trials of intubation. Intubation resistance, intubation success rate, laryngoscopy assist rate, time for intubation, time for alignment, incidence of catheter dislocation, VAS score for post-operative throat pain, and the damage extent of vocal cord were recorded.

RESULTS

No significant differences were seen between two the groups in terms of intubation resistance, intubation success rate, laryngoscopy assist rate, time for intubation, VAS score for post-operative throat pain, and the damage extent of vocal cord. However, shorter time for alignment and lower incidence of catheter dislocation were observed in the D group than in the S group (both p < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

For intubation in patients with difficult airway, the thermal softening DLT was as safe as the SLT, but simpler in alignment and had a lower dislocation incidence. Meanwhile, video laryngoscope could increase the success rate of intubation with either tube.