Anion-Involved Solvation Structure of Lithium Polysulfides in Lithium-Sulfur Batteries

Lithium polysulfides (LiPSs) are pivotal intermediates involved in all the cathodic reactions in lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries. Elucidating the solvation structure of LiPSs is the first step for rational design of electrolyte and improving Li-S battery performances. Herein, we investigate the solvation structure of LiPSs and find that Li salt anions tend to enter the first solvation sheath of LiPSs and form contact ion pairs in electrolyte. The anion-involved solvation structure of LiPSs significantly influences the intrinsic kinetics of the sulfur redox reactions. In particular, the LiPS solvation structure modified by lithium bis(fluorosulfonyl)imide endows Li-S batteries with reduced polarization and enhanced rate performances under high sulfur areal loading and lean electrolyte volume conditions. This work updates the fundamental understanding of the solvation chemistry of LiPSs and highlights electrolyte engineering for promoting the performances of Li-S batteries.

[Role of neoadjuvant rectal score in prognosis and adjuvant chemotherapy decision-making in locally advanced rectal cancer following neoadjuvant short-course radiotherapy and consolidation chemotherapy]

Objectives: To assess the prognostic impact of the neoadjuvant rectal (NAR) score following neoadjuvant short-course radiotherapy and consolidation chemotherapy in locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC), as well as its value in guiding decisions for adjuvant chemotherapy. Methods: Between August 2015 and August 2018, patients were eligible from the STELLAR phase III trial (NCT02533271) who received short-course radiotherapy plus consolidation chemotherapy and for whom the NAR score could be calculated. Based on the NAR score, patients were categorized into low (＜8), intermediate (8-16), and high (＞16) groups. The Kaplan-Meier method, log rank tests, and multivariate Cox proportional hazard regression models were used to evaluate the impact of the NAR score on disease-free survival (DFS). Results: Out of the 232 patients, 24.1%, 48.7%, and 27.2% had low (56 cases), intermediate (113 cases), and high NAR scores (63 cases), respectively. The median follow-up period was 37 months, with 3-year DFS rates of 87.3%, 68.3%, and 53.4% (P＜0.001) for the low, intermediate, and high NAR score groups. Multivariate analysis demonstrated that the NAR score (intermediate NAR score: HR, 3.10, 95% CI, 1.30-7.37, P=0.011; high NAR scores: HR=5.44, 95% CI, 2.26-13.09, P＜0.001), resection status (HR, 3.00, 95% CI, 1.64-5.52, P＜0.001), and adjuvant chemotherapy (HR, 3.25, 95% CI, 2.01-5.27, P＜0.001) were independent prognostic factors for DFS. In patients with R0 resection, the 3-year DFS rates were 97.8% and 78.0% for those with low and intermediate NAR scores who received adjuvant chemotherapy, significantly higher than the 43.2% and 50.6% for those who did not (P＜0.001, P=0.002). There was no significant difference in the 3-year DFS rate (54.2% vs 53.3%, P=0.214) among high NAR score patients, regardless of adjuvant chemotherapy. Conclusions: The NAR score is a robust prognostic indicator in LARC following neoadjuvant short-course radiotherapy and consolidation chemotherapy, with potential implications for subsequent decisions regarding adjuvant chemotherapy. These findings warrant further validation in studies with larger sample sizes.

Early Cardiotoxicity in Patients Receiving Hypofractionated Radiotherapy after Breast Conserving Surgery: Analysis of a Prospective Study

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE(S)

To evaluate the early cardiotoxicity of hypofractionated radiotherapy (HFRT) in patients with left-sided breast cancer after breast-conserving surgery, and to investigate the correlation between cardiotoxicity and cardiac dose.

MATERIALS/METHODS

A total of 103 women from 2017 to 2018 who received left-sided whole-breast with or without regional nodal irradiation either using deep inspiration breath-hold (DIBH) or free-breathing (FB) technique were prospectively enrolled. N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP), electrocardiogram, and radionuclide myocardial perfusion imaging were conducted before and after HFRT. Logistic regression analyses were performed to determine the association of cancer treatment, cardiac dose, and cardiovascular risk factors with cardiotoxic effects.

RESULTS

The mean dose (Dmean) of the heart, left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD), left ventricular (LV), and right ventricular (RV) in all patients was 403 cGy, 1685 cGy, 627 cGy, and 444 cGy, respectively. In comparison to FB, DIBH significantly reduced cardiac dose (heart Dmean 250 cGy vs. 570 cGy, LAD Dmean 1250 cGy vs. 2170 cGy, LV Dmean 420 cGy vs. 850 cGy, RV Dmean 260 cGy vs. 650 cGy; all p<0.001). With a median follow-up of 49 months (range, 2-65 months), no patients had clinical cardiac abnormalities or cardiac-related symptoms, but 42 (41%) patients had subclinical cardiac events. Among them, 41 were electrocardiogram changes, and one had LV ejection fraction decreased by 10% compared with the baseline level. Twenty-five (60%) recovered during follow-up, of which 17 (40%) experienced subclinical changes only once. The mean value of NT-proBNP did not change significantly before and after HFRT. In univariate analyses, DIBH technique significantly decreased the risk of subclinical cardiac events compared with FB (OR 0.31, 95% CI 0.14-0.71; p = 0.006); however, higher mean doses of heart and LV, anthracycline-based chemotherapy, obesity, and hypertension were associated with increased risk of subclinical cardiac events (all p<0.05).

CONCLUSION

Early subclinical cardiac damage after HFRT in left-sided breast cancer is dose-related, and mostly manageable and reversible without medical intervention.

Adaptive Ultra-Hypofractionated Whole-Pelvic Radiotherapy in High-Risk and Very High-Risk Prostate Cancer on 1.5-1.5 MR Linac: The Estimated Delivered Dose and Early Toxicity Results

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE(S)

To study the feasibility and safety for patients with high-risk (HR) and very high-risk (VHR) prostate cancer treated with adaptive ultra-hypofractionated whole-pelvic radiotherapy (UHF-WPRT) on 1.5 magnetic resonance (MR)-Linac.

MATERIALS/METHODS

Sevenpatients with clinical stage T3a-4N0-1M0-1c consecutively treated with UHF-WPRT on a 1.5-T MR-Linac were recruited prospectively in a phase II trial (NCT05183074, ChiCTR2000033382). A 36.25 Gy dose in five fractions was delivered every other day with a boost of 40 Gy to the whole prostate, as well as 25 Gy to whole pelvic nodal area with a concomitant boost of 35 Gy to metastatic regional nodes. To estimate the delivered dose, we collected data by 3D-MR for the following stages: pre-MR, position verification-MR (PV-MR) in the Adapt-To-Shape (ATS) workflow, and 3D-MR during the beam-on phase (Bn-MR) and at the end of RT (post-MR). The target and organ-at-risk contours in the PV-MR, Bn-MR, and post-MR stages were projected from the pre-MR data by deformable image registration and manually adapted by the physician, followed by dose recalculation for the ATS plan. The cumulative acute genitourinary (GU) and gastrointestinal (GI) toxicities were evaluated as per NCI-CTCAE 5.0 criteria. The primary endpoints were acute ≥grade 3 genitourinary (GU) and gastrointestinal (GI) toxicities during the first 3 months.

RESULTS

Overall, 133 MR scans were collected (35 pre-MR, 35 PV-MR, 31 Bn-MR and 32 post-MR scans). With a median on-couch time of 61 minutes, the mean prostate and pelvic planning target volume (PTV)-V95% of all scans was 96.98 ± 3.06% and 96.44 ± 2.85%, respectively. The corresponding mean prostate clinical target volume (CTV)-V100% was 99.89 ± 0.32%, 98.71 ± 1.90%, 97.77 ± 2.89%, and 98.56 ± 1.72%, and the mean pelvic CTV-V100% was 97.57% ± 3.70%, 96.54 ± 3.80%, 95.43 ± 4.31%, and 94.39 ± 4.47% on pre-MR, PV-MR, Bn-MR and post-MR scans, respectively. For the 4 patients with positive nodes, the mean V100% of metastatic regional nodes was 99.89 ± 0.81%. The median V29 Gy change in the rectal wall was -1% (-18%-20%). The V29 Gy of the rectal wall increased by >15% was observed in one scan. A slight increase in the high dose of bladder wall was noted due to gradual bladder growth during the workflow. With median follow-up time of 7.3 (4.6-12.2) months, all patients were followed-up for more than 3 months. No patient was observed with acute CTCAE grade 2 or more severe GU or GI toxicities (0%).

CONCLUSION

UHF-RT to prostate and pelvic with ATS workflow is well tolerated by patients with HR and VHR prostate cancer, with only mild GU and GI toxicities. The 3D-MR-based dosimetry analysis demonstrated clinically acceptable estimated dose coverage of target volumes during the beam-on period.

Cathode Kinetics Evaluation in Lean-Electrolyte Lithium-Sulfur Batteries

Lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries afford great promise on achieving practical high energy density beyond lithium-ion batteries. Lean-electrolyte conditions constitute the prerequisite for achieving high-energy-density Li-S batteries but inevitably deteriorates battery performances, especially the sulfur cathode kinetics. Herein, the polarizations of the sulfur cathode are systematically decoupled to identify the key kinetic limiting factor in lean-electrolyte Li-S batteries. Concretely, an electrochemical impedance spectroscopy combined galvanostatic intermittent titration technique method is developed to decouple the cathodic polarizations into activation, concentration, and ohmic parts. Therein, activation polarization during lithium sulfide nucleation emerges as the dominant polarization as the electrolyte-to-sulfur ratio (E/S ratio) decreases, and the sluggish interfacial charge transfer kinetics is identified as the main reason for degraded cell performances under lean-electrolyte conditions. Accordingly, a lithium bis(fluorosulfonyl)imide electrolyte is proposed to decrease activation polarization, and Li-S batteries adopting this electrolyte provide a discharge capacity of 985 mAh g^-1 under a low E/S ratio of 4 μL mg^-1 at 0.2 C. This work identifies the key kinetic limiting factor of lean-electrolyte Li-S batteries and provides guidance on designing rational promotion strategies to achieve advanced Li-S batteries.

[Research progress on mosaic embryo transfer and pregnancy risk]

Mosaic embryos contain two or more genetically distinct cell lines, which can be detected by pre-implantation genetic testing for aneuploidy. At present, it has been reported that mosaic embryo transfer can lead to healthy live births. In order to prevent severe adverse pregnancy outcomes, such as implantation failure, abortion, congenital malformation and neonatal death after implantation of mosaic embryos, it is critical to carry out genetic counseling, prenatal diagnosis and pregnancy supervision for mosaic embryo transfer. This article reviews the selection of mosaic embryos, the pregnancy outcomes of mosaic embryo transfer, and the safety of offspring, in order to provide references for the clinical practice of mosaic embryo transfer.

[Analysis of characteristics of drug resistance gene mutation in HBV RT region of hepatitis B infected patients]

Objective: This article investigated the clinical characteristics and distribution of drug resistance mutation sites in HBV RT region of hepatitis B infected patients. Methods: Retrospective analysis was made on 1 948 patients with HBV infection, who had been tested for NAs resistance mutation and had a medical history of NAs in the Laboratory Department of the Fifth Medical Center of the PLA General Hospital from January 2020 to December 2021. Basic clinical information and drug resistance related mutation information were recorded. Meanwhile, the serological index data of hepatitis B were collected. Drug resistance gene mutant group and non-mutated group were grouped according to whether the drug resistance genes had a mutation in HBV RT region, and the clinical characteristics and genotype distribution of the two groups were statistically analyzed. The pattern of drug resistance gene mutation, number of mutation sites, drug resistance type and mutation of NAs resistance-related sites were analyzed in 917 patients with drug resistance gene mutation in HBV RT region. χ² Inspection was used for counting data. Meanwhile, two independent samples t-test and Wilcoxon rank sum test were used for measurement data. Results: Among the 1 948 patients with chronic HBV infection, 917 patients had drug resistance gene mutation in RT region (47.07%). The proportion of patients with acute hepatitis B and CHB in HBV RT resistance gene mutant group was lower than that in the non-mutated group, while the proportion of patients with HBV-related cirrhosis was higher than that in the non-mutated group, these differences were statistically significant. Compared with the non-mutated group in HBV RT region, the age, the positive rates of HBeAg and HBV DNA, and HBV DNA load of these patients were increased in drug resistance gene mutant group, these differences were statistically significant. Genotypes of patients in both groups were dominated by C, followed by B and D. The proportion of patients with genotype C in HBV RT drug resistance gene mutant group was higher than that of non-mutated group, the difference was statistically significant. There were 53 gene mutation patterns in 917 patients with drug resistance gene mutation in HBV RT region, and the main pattern was rtL180M+rtM204V+rtS202G (9.70%). The mutation sites were dominated by 3 (20.74%). There were 5 types of drug resistance, LAM+Ldt (21.25%) was the most. Among the 18 sites that were clearly associated with LAM, ADV, ETV and Ldt resistance in the HBV RT region, 14 sites were mutated, and the most common mutation sites were rtL180M, rtM204V, rtM204 and rtS202G. what's more, the proportion of patients with NAs drug resistance was LAM>Ldt>ETV>ADV. Conclusion: In order to prevent adverse consequences of this study such as disease recurrence or disease progression caused by HBV drug resistance, HBV infected patients, who have long-term use of NAs antiviral therapy, should monitor the level of HBV DNA and drug resistance genes in HBV RT region in order to optimize the treatment plan in time or guide individualized treatment.

[The efficacy of radiotherapy based combined therapy for unresectable locally invasive bladder cancer and its associated factors analysis]

Objective: Retrospective analysis of the efficacy and influencing factors of bladder preservation integrated therapy for unresectable invasive bladder cancer confined to the pelvis was done, also including the bladder function preservation and adverse effects analysis. Methods: Sixty-nine patients with unresectable locally invasive bladder cancer who received radiotherapy-based combination therapy from March 1999 to December 2021 at our hospital were selected. Among them, 42 patients received concurrent chemoradiotherapy, 32 underwent neoadjuvant chemotherapyand 43 with transurethral resection of bladder tumors (TURBT) prior to radiotherapy. The late adverse effect of radiotherapy, preservation of bladder function, replase and metastasis and survival were followed-up. Cox proportional hazards models were applied for the multifactorial analysis. Results: The median age was 69 years. There were 63 cases (91.3%) of uroepithelial carcinoma, 64 of stage Ⅲ and 4 of stage Ⅳ. The median duration of follow-up was 76 months. There were 7 grade 2 late genito urinary toxicities, 2 grade 2 gastrointestinal toxicities, no grade 3 or higher adverse events occurred. All patients maintained normal bladder function, except for 8 cases who lost bladder function due to uncontrolled tumor in the bladder. Seventeen cases recurred locally. There were 11 cases in the concurrent chemoradiotherapy group with a local recurrence rate of 26.2% (11/42) and 6 cases in the non-concurrent chemoradiotherapy group with a local recurrence rate of 22.2% (6/27), and the difference in local recurrence rate between the two groups was not statistically significant (P=0.709). There were 23 cases of distant metastasis (including 2 cases of local recurrence with distant metastasis), including 10 cases in the concurrent chemoradiotherapy group with a distant metastasis rate of 23.8% (10/42) and 13 cases in the non-concurrent chemoradiotherapy group with a distant metastasis rate of 48.1% (13/27), and the distant metastasis rate in the non-concurrent chemoradiotherapy group was higher than that in the concurrent chemoradiotherapy group (P=0.036). The median 5-year overall survival (OS) time was 59 months and the OS rate was 47.8%. The 5-year progression-free survival (PFS) time was 20 months and the PFS rate was 34.4%. The 5-year OS rates of concurrent and non-concurrent chemoradiotherapy group were 62.9% and 27.6% (P<0.001), and 5-year PFS rates were 45.4% and 20.0%, respectively (P=0.022). The 5-year OS rates of with or without neoadjuvant chemotherapy were 78.4% and 30.1% (P=0.002), and the 5-year PFS rates were 49.1% and 25.1% (P=0.087), respectively. The 5-year OS rates with or without TURBT before radiotherapy were 45.5% and 51.9% (P=0.233) and the 5-year PFS rates were 30.8% and 39.9% (P=0.198), respectively. Multivariate Cox regression analysis results showed that the clinical stage (HR=0.422, 95% CI: 0.205-0.869) was independent prognostic factor for PFS of invasive bladder cancer. The multivariate analysis showed that clinical stages (HR=0.278, 95% CI: 0.114-0.678), concurrent chemoradiotherapy (HR=0.391, 95% CI: 0.165-0.930), neoadjuvant chemotherapy (HR=0.188, 95% CI: 0.058-0.611), and recurrences (HR=10.855, 95% CI: 3.655-32.638) were independent prognostic factors for OS of invasive bladder cancer. Conclusion: Unresectable localized invasive bladder cancer can achieve satisfactory long-term outcomes with bladder-preserving combination therapy based on radiotherapy, most patients can retain normal bladder function with acceptable late adverse effects and improved survival particularly evident in patients with early, concurrent chemoradiotherapy and neoadjuvant chemotherapy.

[Clinical analysis of penetrating keratoplasty for infants with congenital corneal opacity]

Objective: To investigate the corneal graft survival and related risk factors of primary penetrating keratoplasty in congenital corneal opacity infants. Methods: It was a retrospective cohort study. Data were collected from forty-two infants (51 eyes) who were aged ≤12 months and diagnosed with congenital corneal opacity in Beijing Tongren Hospital and Beijing Anzhen Hospital from January 1, 2017 to January 31, 2018. The mean age at surgery was (5.7±2.2) months (3-12 months). The mean follow-up duration was (28.6±2.6) months (24-33 months). All the patients underwent penetrating keratoplasty. The status of the corneal grafts and complications were observed and recorded during the regular follow-up. The survival probabilities were estimated by using the Kaplan-Meier and Log-rank test. The graft survival between different influence factors was analyzed by using the χ² test. Results: The Kaplan-Meier survival rates for penetrating keratoplasty were 84.3% (43/51) at 6 months, 78.4% (40/51) at 12 months and 60.8% (31/51) at the last follow-up. The presence of corneal neovascularization was significantly correlated with graft failure (χ²=5.264, P=0.022). The graft survival differed between eyes receiving combined surgery and mere penetrating keratoplasty and in eyes with varied surgical indications (P=0.039, <0.01). Increased intraocular pressure (7 eyes, 13.7%) and persistent epithelial defects (7 eyes, 13.7%) were the most common postoperative complications, followed by complicated cataract (4 eyes, 7.8%) and posterior capsule opacification (2 eyes, 3.9%). Conclusions: The graft survival rate was satisfactory following pediatric keratoplasty although it had a tendency to decrease with the follow-up time. Corneal neovascularization was a major risk factor of graft failure. Surgical indications and procedures also had a certain effect on the graft survival.

[Stereotactic body radiation therapy for patients with lung and liver oligometastases from colorectal cancer: a phase Ⅱ trial]

Objective: To explore the safety and effectiveness of stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) for oligometastases from colorectal cancer (CRC). Methods: This is a prospective, single-arm phase Ⅱ trial. Patients who had histologically proven CRC, 1 to 5 detectable liver or lung metastatic lesions with maximum diameter of any metastases ≤5 cm were eligible. SBRT was delivered to all lesions. The primary endpoint was 3-year local control (LC). The secondary endpoints were treatment-related acute toxicities of grade 3 and above, 1-year and 3-year overall survival (OS) and progression free survival (PFS). Survival analysis was performed using the Kaplan-Meier method and Log rank test. Results: Petients from 2016 to 2019 who were treated in Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College. Forty-eight patients with 60 lesions were enrolled, including 37 liver lesions and 23 lung lesions. Forty-six patients had 1 or 2 lesions, with median diameter of 1.3 cm, the median biologically effective dose (BED(10)) was 100.0 Gy. The median follow-up was 19.5 months for all lesions. Twenty-five lesions developed local failure, the median local progression free survival was 15 months. The 1-year LC, OS and PFS was 70.2% (95% CI, 63.7%~76.7%), 89.0% (95% CI, 84.3%~93.7%) and 40.4% (95%CI, 33.0%~47.8%). The univariate analysis revealed that planning target volume (PTV) and total dose were independent prognostic factors of LC (P<0.05). For liver and lung lesions, the 1-year LC, OS and PFS was 58.7% and 89.4% (P=0.015), 89.3% and 86.5% (P=0.732), 30.5% and 65.6% (P=0.024), respectively. No patients developed acute toxicity of grade 3 and above. Conclusion: SBRT is safe and effective treatment method for oligometastases from CRC under precise respiratory motion management and robust quality assurance.

High Estimated 24-Hour Urinary Sodium Excretion Is Related to Symptomatic Knee Osteoarthritis: A Nationwide Cross-Sectional Population-Based Study

OBJECTIVES

High salt intake results in various harmful effects on human health including hypertension, cardiovascular disease, and reduced bone density. Despite this, there are very few studies in the literature that have investigated the association between sodium intake and osteoarthritis (OA). Therefore, we aimed to explore these associations in a Korean population.

METHODS

This study used cross-sectional data from adult subjects aged 50-75 years from two consecutive periods of the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey V-VII (2010-2011 and 2014-2016). The estimated 24-hour urinary sodium excretion (24HUNa) was used as a surrogate marker of salt intake. In the 2010-2011 dataset, knee OA (KOA) was defined as the presence of the radiographic features of OA and knee pain. The association between KOA and salt intake was analysed using univariable and multivariable logistic regression methods. For the sensitivity analysis, the same procedures were conducted on subjects with self-reported OA (SR-OA) with knee pain in the 2010-2011 dataset and any site SR-OA in the 2014-2016 dataset.

RESULTS

Subjects with KOA had significantly lower energy intake, but higher 24HUNa than those without KOA. The restricted cubic spline plots demonstrated a J-shaped distribution between 24HUNa and prevalent KOA. When 24HUNa was stratified into five groups (<2, 2-3, 3-4, 4-5 and ≥5 g/day), subjects with high sodium intake (≥5 g/day) had a higher risk of KOA (odds ratio [OR] = 1.64, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.03-2.62) compared to the reference group (3-4 g/day) after adjusting for covariates. The sensitivity analysis based on SR-OA with knee pain showed that high sodium intake was also significantly associated with increased prevalence of OA (OR = 1.84, 95% CI 1.10-3.10) compared with the reference group. Regarding SR-OA at any site in the 2014-2016 dataset, estimated 24HUNa showed a significantly positive association with the presence of SR-OA after adjusting for potential confounders.

CONCLUSIONS

This nationwide Korean representative study showed a significant association between symptomatic KOA and high sodium intake (≥5 g/day). Avoidance of a diet high in salt might be beneficial as a non-pharmacologic therapy for OA.

Semi-Immobilized Molecular Electrocatalysts for High-Performance Lithium-Sulfur Batteries

Lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries constitute promising next-generation energy storage devices due to the ultrahigh theoretical energy density of 2600 Wh kg^-1. However, the multiphase sulfur redox reactions with sophisticated homogeneous and heterogeneous electrochemical processes are sluggish in kinetics, thus requiring targeted and high-efficient electrocatalysts. Herein, a semi-immobilized molecular electrocatalyst is designed to tailor the characters of the sulfur redox reactions in working Li-S batteries. Specifically, porphyrin active sites are covalently grafted onto conductive and flexible polypyrrole linkers on graphene current collectors. The electrocatalyst with the semi-immobilized active sites exhibits homogeneous and heterogeneous functions simultaneously, performing enhanced redox kinetics and a regulated phase transition mode. The efficiency of the semi-immobilizing strategy is further verified in practical Li-S batteries that realize superior rate performances and long lifespan as well as a 343 Wh kg^-1 high-energy-density Li-S pouch cell. This contribution not only proposes an efficient semi-immobilizing electrocatalyst design strategy to promote the Li-S battery performances but also inspires electrocatalyst development facing analogous multiphase electrochemical energy processes.

[Comparison of preoperative chemotherapy with concurrent chemoradiotherapy combined with TME for 305 patients with locally advanced rectal cancer]

Objective: To retrospectively analyze the long-term efficacy and prognostic factors of preoperative chemotherapy (PCT) or chemoradiotherapy (PCRT) combined with total mesorectal excision in locally advanced rectal cancer. Methods: Clinical pathology data of 305 patients with localized advanced rectal cancer admitted to the Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences from 2006 to 2018 were collected, of whom 246 patients received PCRT (PCRT group), 59 patients received PCT (PCT group). Kaplan-Meier and Log rank test were used for the survival analysis, Cox regression model was used for multivariate analysis, and the prognosis of two groups of patients were compared by the propensity score matching (PSM). Results: In the whole group of 305 patients, 20 cases of tumors located in the upper part of the rectum and at the junction of rectum and colon, 96 cases in the middle of the rectum and 189 cases in the lower part of the rectum. PCRT group included 38 cases of cT2-3 phase, 11 cases of cT4a stage, 10 cases of cT4b stage, while the cases in PCT group were 184, 0 and 62 cases, respectively, the difference is statistically significant (P<0.05). The R0 excision rates of PCRT group and PCT group were 100% (246/246) and 96.6% (57/59), respectively, and the total pathological remission rates were 13.4% and 3.3%, respectively (P<0.05). After PSM, the 3-year survival rates of PCRT group and the PCT group were 86.6% and 89.9% (P>0.05), respectively, and the progression-free survival rates were 74.6% and 77.2% (P>0.05), local recurring free survival rates were 100% and 92.3% (P>0.05), distant metastasis free survival rate were 75.6% and 77.3% (P>0.05). Pre-treatment N-positive, N-degeneration and MRF-positive were all associated with total survival (P<0.05). Conclusion: In the PCRT group, with a higher proportion of patients with stage T4b and lower rectal cancer, the long-term efficacy of PCRT was similar to that of PCT, and higher R0 excision rate and pathological complete response rate could be obtained.

[Diagnostic value of combined detection of different indicators for type 2 diabetes mellitus combined with atherosclerotic disease]

Objective: To investigate the diagnostic value of serum lipoprotein associated phospholipase A2 (Lp-PLA2), amyloid A (SAA) and immunoglobulin E (IgE) in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2DM) mellitus complicated with atherosclerotic disease. Methods: From June to December 2019, 224 patients with T2DM in the Second Hospital of Lanzhou University were selected, including 144 males and 80 females, aged (61±11) years. According to the results of imaging examination, the patients were divided into T2DM with AS group (T2DM-AS group, n=160) and T2DM group (n=64); Healthy subjects in the same period were selected as healthy control group (n=160). Lp-PLA2, IgE, SAA, hs-CRP, TC, TG, HDL-C, LDL-C and Hcy were detected in all patients and healthy controls. The correlation between the above indexes, gender, age and T2DM with AS was analyzed; Multivariate logistic regression was used to analyze the risk factors of T2DM with AS. Results: Compared with the healthy control group, the levels of IgE and Lp-PLA2 in T2DM-AS group and T2DM group were increased, and the levels of SAA in T2DM-AS group were increased (all P<0.05); Compared with T2DM group, the levels of Lp-PLA2, IgE and SAA were increased in T2DM-AS group (all P<0.05). T2DM with AS was positively correlated with age, IgE, Lp-PLA2 and SAA (r=0.468, 0.269, 0.486, 0.418, all P<0.05), and negatively correlated with HDL-C (r=-0.338, P<0.05). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that age (OR=0.865, 95%CI: 0.763-0.982, P<0.05), IgE (OR=0.910, 95%CI: 0.840-0.987, P<0.05) and Lp-PLA2 (OR=0.942, 95%CI: 0.910-0.986, P<0.05) were risk factors of T2DM with AS. ROC curve showed that the combined detection of Lp-PLA2, SAA and IgE could improve the diagnostic efficiency of T2DM with AS (AUC=0.895, P<0.05), the sensitivity was 80.0%, and the specificity was 93.7%. Conclusion: The levels of Lp-PLA2, IgE and SAA increase in T2DM patients with AS. The combined detection of Lp-PLA2, SAA and IgE can improve the diagnostic efficiency of T2DM patients with AS.

Comparative risk of osteoporotic fracture among patients with rheumatoid arthritis receiving TNF inhibitors versus other biologics: a cohort study

In this population-based cohort study on comparative osteoporotic fracture risks between different biologic disease-modifying drugs among patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), we did not find a significant difference in the risk of osteoporotic fractures between RA patients receiving TNF inhibitors versus abatacept or tocilizumab.

INTRODUCTION

We aimed to investigate the comparative risk of osteoporotic fractures between rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients who initiated TNF inhibitors (TNFis) versus abatacept or tocilizumab.

METHODS

Using the Korea National Health Insurance Service datasets from 2002 to 2016, RA patients who initiated TNFis, abatacept, or tocilizumab were identified. The primary outcome was a composite end point of non-vertebral fractures and hospitalized vertebral fractures; secondary outcomes were two components of the primary outcome and fractures occurring at the humerus/forearm. Propensity score (PS) matching with a variable ratio up to 10 TNFi initiators per 1 comparator drug initiator was used to adjust for > 50 baseline confounders. We estimated hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence interval (CI) of fractures comparing TNFi initiators to abatacept and to tocilizumab by Cox proportional hazard models stratified by a matching ratio.

RESULTS

After PS-matching, 2307 TNFi initiators PS-matched on 588 abatacept initiators, and 2462 TNFi initiators on 640 tocilizumab initiators were included. A total of 77 fractures occurred during a mean follow-up of 454 days among TNFi and abatacept initiators and 83 fractures during 461 days among TNFi and tocilizumab initiators. The PS-matched HR (95% CI) was 0.91 (0.48-1.71) comparing TNFi versus abatacept initiators, and 1.00 (0.55-1.83) comparing TNFi versus tocilizumab initiators. Analysis on vertebral and non-vertebral fractures showed similar results.

CONCLUSIONS

In this nationally representative cohort, we did not find a significant difference in the risk of fractures between TNFi initiators versus abatacept or tocilizumab among RA patients.

[A nomogram to predict non-sentinel lymph node metastasis for breast cancer patients with positive axillary sentinel lymph node]

Objective: To identify the risk factors of non-sentinel lymph node (nSLN) metastasis in breast cancer patients with 1~2 positive axillary sentinel lymph node (SLN) and construct an accurate prediction model. Methods: Retrospective chart review was performed in 917 breast cancer patients who underwent surgery treatment between 2002 and 2017 and pathologically confirmed 1-2 positive SLNs. According to the date of surgery, patients were divided into training group (497 cases) and validation group (420 cases). A nomogram was built to predict nSLN metastasis and the accuracy of the model was validated. Results: Among the 917 patients, 251 (27.4%) had nSLN metastasis. Univariate analysis showed tumor grade, lymphovascular invasion (LVI), extra-capsular extension (ECE), the number of positive and negative SLN and macro-metastasis of SLN were associated with nSLN metastasis (all P<0.05). Multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed the numbers of positive SLN, negative SLN and macro-metastasis of SLN were independent predictors of nSLN metastasis (all P<0.05). A nomogram was constructed based on the 6 factors. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.718 for the training group and 0.742 for the validation group. Conclusion: We have developed a nomogram that uses 6 risk factors commonly available to accurately estimate the likelihood of nSLN metastasis for individual patient, which might be helpful for radiation oncologists to make a decision on regional nodal irradiation.

Spatial and Kinetic Regulation of Sulfur Electrochemistry on Semi-Immobilized Redox Mediators in Working Batteries

Use of redox mediators (RMs) is an effective strategy to enhance reaction kinetics of multi-electron sulfur electrochemistry. However, the soluble small-molecule RMs usually aggravate the internal shuttle and thus further reduce the battery efficiency and cyclability. A semi-immobilization strategy is now proposed for RM design to effectively regulate the sulfur electrochemistry while circumvent the inherent shuttle issue in a working battery. Small imide molecules as the model RMs were co-polymerized with moderate-chained polyether, rendering a semi-immobilized RM (PIPE) that is spatially restrained yet kinetically active. A small amount of PIPE (5 % in cathode) extended the cyclability of sulfur cathode from 37 to 190 cycles with 80 % capacity retention at 0.5 C. The semi-immobilization strategy helps to understand RM-assisted sulfur electrochemistry in alkali metal batteries and enlightens the chemical design of active additives for advanced electrochemical energy storage devices.

[Subclinical heart injury in patients receiving hypofractionated radiotherapy after breast conserving surgery: a preliminary analysis of prospective study]

Objective: To evaluate the incidence of early cardiac injury in patients with left-sided breast cancer receiving hypofractionated radiotherapy after breast conserving surgery, and to investigate the correlation between cardiac injury and hypofractionated radiotherapy dose. Methods: We prospectively enrolled 103 breast cancer patients who received whole breast with or without regional nodal irradiation after breast conserving surgery using either deep inspiration breath-hold (DIBH) or free breathing (FB) radiotherapy technique. Cardiac examinations that included N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP), electrocardiogram, and myocardial perfusion imaging were performed routinely before and after radiotherapy. The effects of heart dose, systemic therapy and individual factors (Framingham score) on the incidence of cardiac events were analyzed. Results: The median age was 48 years. The mean dose (Dmean) of the heart, left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD), left ventricular (LV), and right ventricular (RV) were 4.0, 16.9, 6.3, and 4.4 Gy, respectively. With a median follow-up of 13.4 months, no patient had clinical cardiac abnormalities. The incidence rates of subclinical cardiac events at 1- 6- and 12-month were 23.5%, 31.6%, and 41.3%, respectively. The DIBH group had a lower mean dose, maximum dose, and V5-V40 in the heart, LAD, LV, and RV than the FB group (P<0.001). Univariate analysis showed an increased incidence of subclinical cardiac events with heart Dmean >4 Gy, LAD V40 > 20%, LV Dmean >6 Gy, RV Dmean >7 Gy, or cumulative doses of anthracycline or taxane > 300 mg/m(2) (All P<0.05). Anti-HER2 targeted therapy, endocrine therapy and Framingham score were not associated with the incidence of subclinical cardiac events (all P>0.05). Multivariate analysis demonstrated that Dmean of LV and RV were independently associated with the increased incidence of subclinical cardiac events. Conclusions: Early subclinical heart injury are found in patients with left-sided breast cancer after hypofractionated radiotherapy. The increased incidence of subclinical cardiac events after radiotherapy is positively associated with the cardiac radiation doses.

[The 8th edition of the American Joint Committee on Cancer staging system provide improved prognostic accuracy in T1-2N1M0 postmastectomy breast cancer patients]

Objective: To validate whether the prognostic stage groups by the 8th edition of the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) staging system provides improved prognostic accuracy in T1-2N1M0 postmastectomy breast cancer patients compared to 7th edition. Methods: a total of 1 823 female patients with T1-2N1M0 breast cancer who underwent mastectomy and axillary lymph node dissection without neoadjuvant chemotherapy were analyzed and restaged according to 8th edition. Univariate analysis of prognostic factors was evaluated by using log-rank test. Multivariate analysis was estimated by using the Cox proportional hazards model. The prognostic accuracy of the two staging systems was compared using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analyses and the concordance index (C-index). Results: 5-year locoregional recurrence rate (LRR) for the whole group was 6.0%, 5-year distant metastasis (DM) rate was 11.5%, 5-year disease-free survival (DFS) was 85.0%, and 5-year overall survival (OS) was 93.1%. Cox analysis showed that 7th edition of the AJCC staging system and progesterone receptor status were independent risk factors for LRR, DM, DFS and OS (P<0.05). Compared with stage by 7th edition, 1 278(70.1%) were assigned to a different prognostic stage group: 1 088 (85.1%) to a lower stage and 190 (14.9%) to a higher stage. LRR, DM, DFS and OS were significantly different between prognostic stage ⅠA, ⅠB, ⅡA, ⅡB and ⅢA according to 8th edition of the AJCC staging system(P<0.001). Prognostic stage had significantly higher C-indexes and provided better estimation of prognosis compared to stage by 7th edition of the AJCC staging system (P<0.001). Conclusion: The prognostic stage groups of 8th edition AJCC staging system has superior prognostic accuracy compared to 7th edition in T1-2N1M0 breast cancer, and has better clinical therapeutic guidance value.

Implanting Atomic Cobalt within Mesoporous Carbon toward Highly Stable Lithium-Sulfur Batteries

Lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries hold great promise to serve as next-generation energy storage devices. However, the practical performances of Li-S batteries are severely limited by the sulfur cathode regarding its low conductivity, huge volume change, and the polysulfide shuttle effect. The first two issues have been well addressed by introducing mesoporous carbon hosts to the sulfur cathode. Unfortunately, the nonpolar nature of carbon materials renders poor affinity to polar polysulfides, leaving the shuttling issue unaddressed. In this contribution, atomic cobalt is implanted within the skeleton of mesoporous carbon via a supramolecular self-templating strategy, which simultaneously improves the interaction with polysulfides and maintains the mesoporous structure. Moreover, the atomic cobalt dopants serve as active sites to improve the kinetics of the sulfur redox reactions. With the atomic-cobalt-decorated mesoporous carbon host, a high capacity of 1130 mAh g_S ^-1 at 0.5 C and a high stability with a retention of 74.1% after 300 cycles are realized. Implanting atomic metal in mesoporous carbon demonstrates a feasible strategy to endow nanomaterials with targeted functions for Li-S batteries and broad applications.

[Clinical differences between primary nasopharyngeal NK/T-cell lymphoma and primary nasal cavity NK/T-cell lymphoma with nasopharynx extension]

Objective: To investigate the clinical and prognostic differences between primary nasopharyngeal natural killer (NK)/T-cell lymphoma (NP NKTCL) and extranodal NK/T-cell lymphoma of the nasal cavity with nasopharynx extension (N-NP NKTCL). Methods: A total of 89 patients with NP NKTCL and 113 patients with N-NP NKTCL from January 2000 to June 2015 were retrospectively analyzed. Clinical and pathological features, treatment responses and prognosis were compared between the two groups. Results: NP NKTCL patients showed similar clinicopathological features with those with N-NP NKTCL, except that the former had a relative low proportion of elevated lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) levels (28.1% vs. 41.6%; P=0.001). Both of two groups presented with high proportion of cervical lymph node involvement (55.1% and 42.5%; P=0.076). The 5-year overall survival (OS) rates in these two groups were 63.2% and 54.6%, respectively, whereas 5-year progress-free survival (PFS) rates were 50.7% and 45.6%, respectively. For the patients with stage Ⅰ and Ⅱ, the 5-year OS and PFS rates in these two groups were 68.8% and 55.7% as well as 55.6% and 47.2%, respectively. These were no statistically significant differences between two groups (all P>0.05). The complete response (CR) rate after initial chemotherapy in NP NKTCL group was 43.8%, which was significant higher than that of 19.6% in N-NP NKTCL group (P=0.006). Additionally, the CR rate after primary radiotherapy was 63.4% and 62.7%, respectively (P=0.629). The NP NKTCL patients with stage Ⅰ and Ⅱ who accepted radiotherapy with or without chemotherapy had similar survival times with chemotherapy alone, showing the 5-year OS rates of 70.5% and 33.3% (P=0.238), as well as the 5-year PFS rates of 56.7% and 33.3%, respectively (P=0.431). Similar results were found in N-NP NKTCL group, the 5-year OS rates for patients with radiotherapy with or without chemotherapy and chemotherapy alone were 57.4% and 33.3% (P=0.246), while the 5-year PFS rates were 49.3% and 16.7% (P=0.177), respectively. Besides, the relapse pattern of NP NKTCL and N-NP NKTCL groups was also similar, mainly involving the distant extra-nodal organs followed by lymph nodes. Conclusion: The patients with N-NP NKTCL and NP NKTCL showed similar clinical and prognostic features, however, the initial response to chemotherapy was different.

[Glucose and lipid metabolic disorders in myasthenia gravis patients and its mechanisms]

Objective: To investigate the glucose and lipid metabolic disorders in patients with myasthenia gravis (MG) without glucocorticoid therapy, and the relationships between insulin, insulin resistance, muscle strength, serum levels of osteocalcin, 25-hydroxy vitamin D (25OHD) and glucose and lipid metabolism. Methods: A total of 102 MG patients [(40±11) years old, 43 males and 59 females] without glucocorticoid treatment were enrolled in this cross-sectional study. Height, weight and the handgrip of dominant hands were measured. Serum levels of fasting blood glucose (FBG), 2-hour postprandial blood glucose (2 h PBG), glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c), fasting insulin (FINS), 2-hour postprandial insulin (2 h PINS), total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and osteocalcin, 25OHD were detected. Insulin resistance was assessed using homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR). Results: The proportion of impaired fasting glucose or impaired glucose tolerance, type 2 diabetes, dyslipidemia, hyperinsulinemia in male and female were 30.0%, 10.0%, 50.0%, 33.3% and 17.5%, 3.5%, 27.7%, 7.1%, respectively. Serum osteocalcin levels in male and female were 2.8 (1.7, 4.4) μg/L and 2.3 (1.3, 3.9) μg/L, respectively. And 25OHD levels in male and female were (93.5±34.9) nmol/L and (81.0±30.5) nmol/L, respectively. Handgrip of male and female was (37.0±9.4) kg and (20.5±6.3) kg. After adjusted for age, FINS (r=0.619, P<0.001), 2 h PINS (r=0.640, P<0.001), HOMA-IR (r=0.534, P<0.001) were positively correlated with 2 h PBG, and the handgrip was negatively correlated with TC (r=-0.486, P=0.026), LDL-C (r=-0.485, P=0.026) in male. FINS (r=0.352, P=0.008; r=0.300, P=0.026; r=0.646, P<0.001) and 2 h PINS (r=0.278, P=0.040; r=0.518, P<0.001; r=0.382, P=0.006) and HOMA-IR (r=0.695, P<0.001; r=0.583, P<0.001; r=0.818, P<0.001) were positively correlated with FBG, 2 h PBG, HbA1c, and the handgrip were negatively correlated with FBG (r=-0.424, P=0.016), 2 h PINS (r=-0.345, P=0.034) and positively correlated with HDL-C (r=0.389, P=0.037) in female. There was no association between osteocalcin, 25OHD and glucose and lipid metabolism. Multivariate linear regression analysis also found that there were significant relationships between handgrip, insulin, insulin resistance levels and glucose and lipid metabolic disorders. Conclusion: There was a high proportion of glucose and lipid metabolic disorders in MG patients without glucocorticoid treatment, and the mechanism may be related to insulin resistance induced by muscle weakness.

[Prognosis and risk factors of 1 791 patients with breast cancer treated with breast-conserving surgery based on real-world data]

Objective: To investigate the overall efficacy of early breast cancer after breast-conserving treatment. To analyze risk factors affecting local regional recurrence (LRR), distant metastasis (DM) and survival. Methods: 1 791 breast cancer patients treated with breast-conserving surgery were retrospectively analyzed. The inclusion criteria were pathologic diagnosis of invasive breast cancer without supraclavicular and internal mammary node metastasis, T1-2N0-3M0, and no neoadjuvant therapy. Univariate analysis of survival was performed by Kaplan-Meier method and log rank test. Cox regression model was used for multivariate analysis. Results: The median follow-up time was 4.2 years. For all patients, the 5-year LRR, DM, disease-free survival(DFS) and overall survival(OS) rates were 3.6%, 4.6%, 93.0% and 97.4%, respectively. The LRR rates of patients with Luminal A, Luminal B1, Luminal B2, HER-2 over-expressed and triple-negative breast cancer were 2.0%, 6.1%, 5.9%, 0 and 10.0%, while the DM rates were 3.2%, 6.7%, 8.3%, 4.8% and 7.3%, respectively. Among the N0 patients, axillary dissection was performed in 689 cases and sentinel lymph node biopsy in 652 cases. The 5-year LRR rates were 3.3% and 3.2% (P=0.859), and the OS rates were 98.2% and 98.3% (P=0.311) respectively, which showed no statistically significant. There were 1 576 patients that underwent postoperative radiotherapy. Postoperative radiotherapy significantly reduced the 5-year LRR compared with surgery alone (2.5% vs 12.9%). The 5-year LRR rates of patients who received conventional fractionated radiotherapy and hypo-fractionated radiotherapy were 2.7% and 3.1%, respectively. But the difference was not statistically significant (P=0.870). Multivariate analysis showed that age, lymphovascular invasion, pathological T staging, postoperative radiotherapy, ER/PR status and endocrine therapy were independent factors of LRR in breast cancer patients (all P<0.05). Histological grade and pathological N staging were independent factors of DM (all P<0.05). The age, lymphovascular invasion, pathological T and N staging, postoperative radiotherapy, ER/PR status and endocrine therapy were independent factors for DFS (all P<0.05). Histological grade, pathological N staging, ER/PR status and endocrine therapy were factors for OS (all P<0.05). Conclusions: With contemporary standard treatment, the recurrence rate of early breast cancer after breast conserving treatment is less than 10%. Node-negative patients after sentinel lymph node biopsy did not need axillary dissection. The overall utilization of radiotherapy after breast conserving surgery is satisfactory. Hypofractionated radiotherapy is as effective as conventional fractionated radiotherapy. Local regional recurrence and distant metastasis have different risk factors.

Urinary vitamin D-binding protein, a novel biomarker for lupus nephritis, predicts the development of proteinuric flare

Lupus nephritis (LN) is a major complication of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Conventional biomarkers for assessing renal disease activity are imperfect in predicting clinical outcomes associated with LN. The aim of this study is to identify urinary protein biomarkers that reliably reflect the disease activity or predict clinical outcomes. A quantitative proteomic analysis was performed to identify protein biomarker candidates that can differentiate between SLE patients with and without LN. Selected biomarker candidates were further verified by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay using urine samples from a larger cohort of SLE patients ( n = 121) to investigate their predictive values for LN activity measure. Furthermore, the association between urinary levels of a selected panel of potential biomarkers and prognosis of LN was assessed with a four-year follow-up study of renal outcomes. Urinary vitamin D-binding protein (VDBP), transthyretin (TTR), retinol binding protein 4 (RBP4), and prostaglandin D synthase (PTGDS) were significantly elevated in SLE patients with LN, especially in patients with active LN ( n = 21). Among them, VDBP well correlated with severity of proteinuria (rho = 0.661, p < 0.001) and renal SLE Disease Activity Index (renal SLEDAI) (rho = 0.520, p < 0.001). In the four-year follow-up, VDBP was a significant risk factor (hazard ratio 9.627, 95% confidence interval 1.698 to 54.571, p = 0.011) for the development of proteinuric flare in SLE patients without proteinuria ( n = 100) after adjustments for multiple confounders. Urinary VDBP correlated with proteinuria and renal SLEDAI, and predicted the development of proteinuria.

[Clinical characteristics and treatment strategies for early-stage primary gastric diffuse large B-cell lymphoma]

Objective: Primary gastric diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (PG-DLBCL) is the most common non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) of extranodal origin. Most patients with PG-DLBCL had localized disease (stage Ⅰ or Ⅱ) at presentation, and will achieve complete response (CR) after induction chemotherapy. However, there has been little consensus regarding whether optimal treatment is provided by chemotherapy alone or chemotherapy plus radiotherapy, nor the treatment outcome from the addition of rituximab in localized-stage PG-DLBCL. Methods: Patients with Stage ⅠE and ⅡE PG-DLBCL were retrospectively analyzed. Patients have not undergone surgery, have received at least 3 cycles of R-CHOP or CHOP-like chemotherapy as initial therapy, and achieved CR or partial response (PR) were enrolled. Results: A total of 91 patients were studied. The median age was 51 years, included 47 males and 44 females. Fifty-two patients were at Stage ⅠE and 39 at Stage ⅡE, 64 (70.3%) patients received R-CHOP-like regimens, and 27 (29.7%) received CHOP-like regimens, the median chemotherapy cycle was 6 (3-8). Among the 91 patients, 80 (87.9%) patients achieved CR from induction chemotherapy, 11(12.1%) was evaluated PR. Of CR patients, 48 patients (60%) underwent consolidating radiotherapy and 32 patients (40%) did not receive radiotherapy; all PR patients received salvage radiotherapy. CR patients with and without radiation therapy had 4-year progression-free survival (PFS) rates of 96.4% and 96.7%, respectively (χ(2) = 0.546, P=0.46); 7/11 (63.6%) PR patients achieved CR after radiotherapy, with a median follow-up of 41 months, they were all disease free. For patients treated with R-CHOP or CHOP-like regimens, the 4-year PFS was 93.2% and 89.7%, respectively (χ(2)=0.096, P=0.757). Conclusions: Consolidation radiotherapy failed to improve the outcome for early-stage PG-DLBCL, while for PR patients, salvage radiotherapy increased CR rate and improved survival. The addition of rituximab to CHOP did not improve the efficacy.

[Retrospective analysis of the clinical features and prognostic factors of 370 patients with advanced-stage diffuse large B-cell lymphoma]

Objective: The clinical features and prognosis of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) were analyzed to optimize the treatment. Methods: We retrospectively collected the clinical data of patients with advanced-stage DLBCL from January 2006 to December 2012 in National Cancer Center/Cancer Hospital. The demographic characteristics, clinical stage, histological diagnosis, treatment and prognostic characteristics of these patients were analyzed. Results: A total of 370 patients with median age of 55 years old were recruited in the study. The male-to-female ratio was 1.3∶1. Among the 361 patients who underwent therapy, 280 cases received chemotherapy alone, 65 cases received chemoradiotherapy, and 16 cases received chemotherapy combined with autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (AHSCT). The median follow-up period was 89 months, the 5-year overall survival (OS) rate of the entire cohort was 42.9%. The 5-year OS rate of chemotherapy alone, chemoradiotherapy and chemotherapy combined with AHSCT were 36.8%, 58.5%, 87.5%, respectively. The 5-year OS rate were significantly different between chemoradiotherapy and chemotherapy alone (P=0.001), and between chemotherapy combined with AHSCT and chemoradiotherapy (P=0.040). Univariate analysis showed that the age, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status (ECOG PS) score, Ann Arbor stage, B symptom, bulky disease, number of extranodal sites, Ki-67 index, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), β2-microglobulin (β2-MG), international prognostic index (IPI), therapeutic manner and chemotherapy combined with rituximab were significantly associated with the prognosis of advanced DLBCL patients (all P<0.05). Multivariate analysis demonstrated that the age >60 years, Ann Arbor stage IV, with B symptom, with bulky disease, ECOG PS≥1, Ki-67 index > 90%, CD5 expression, up-regulation of serum LDH and β2-MG, and chemotherapy without rituximab were related with the poor prognosis of patients with advanced-stage DLBCL (all P<0.05). Conclusions: Chemotherapy combined with rituximab can improve the outcome of patients with advanced-stage DLBCL. The age, stage, B symptom, bulky disease, ECOG PS score, Ki-67 index, CD5 expression, LDH, β2-MG and chemotherapy combined with rituximab are associated with the prognosis of these patients.

[Clinical characteristics and prognosis of patients with ipsilateral breast tumor recurrence after breast conservation therapy]

Objective: To analyze the clinical features and prognosis of the ipsilateral breast tumor recurrence (IBTR) after breast conserving surgery. Methods: From 1999 to 2013, 63 women with IBTR after breast conserving surgery were retrospectively reviewed. All patients had adequate information on tumor location both at first presentation and at recurrence, with or without regional recurrence or distant metastasis. The histologic changes between true local recurrence and elsewhere recurrence groups were compared. The local recurrence, the overall survival after IBTR (IBTR-OS), the disease-free survival after IBTR (IBTR-DFS) were also compared. Results: All patients had undergone lumpectomy, including 38 cases with additional axillary lymph node dissection and 13 cases with sentinel lymph node biopsy. There were 11.3% (7/63) cases received neoadjuvant systemic therapy, 68.3% (43/63) had adjuvant radiotherapy, 60.3% (38/63) underwent adjuvant chemotherapy and 47.6% (30/63) received hormonal therapy. Forty-five cases (71.4%) had recurrence in the same quadrant, and 18 cases (28.6%) had elsewhere recurrence. Compared with histology at presentation, 10.3% of the patients (6/58) had different ones at recurrence and 28.9% of patients (13/45) had different molecular subtypes. The conversion rate of estrogen receptor status (33.3% vs 9.5%, P=0.012) and progesterone receptor status (56.3% vs 19.0%, P=0.005) in patients with elsewhere recurrence was significantly higher than that in patients with same quadrant recurrence. Fifty-nine cases had undergone surgery after IBTR, with 48 cases of secondary breast-conserving surgery and 11 cases of salvage mastectomy. The median time to IBTR of same quadrant recurrence and elsewhere recurrence groups were 26 months and 62 months (P=0.012), respectively. There were 84.4% and 44.4% cases who had local recurrence within 5 years after breast conserving surgery, respectively. Of all cases, the overall 5-year IBTR-OS and 5-year IBTR-DFS rates were 79.4% and 60.4%, respectively. There were no significant differences in 5-year IBTR-OS (77.4% vs. 83.6%, P=0.303) or 5-year IBTR-DFS (60.0% vs. 62.8%, P=0.780) between same quadrant recurrence and elsewhere recurrence groups. Univariate analysis showed that pN0-1 (P<0.001), luminal subtype (P=0.026), adjuvant endocrine therapy (P=0.007) at first presentation, recurrent tumor < 3 cm (P=0.036) and having surgery after IBTR(P=0.002) were favorable factors of IBTR-OS. pN0-1 (P<0.001) at first presentation, recurrent tumor stage Ⅰ-Ⅱ (P<0.001) and having surgery after IBTR(P=0.001) were favorable factors of IBTR-DFS. There was no significant difference between second breast-conserving surgery and salvage mastectomy in IBTR-OS and IBTR-DFS (P>0.05). Conclusions: The IBTR after breast conserving surgery mainly occurred at the original quadrant. Second breast-conserving surgery did not affect patient's prognosis. There were significant differences in biological features between the same quadrant recurrence and elsewhere recurrence, requiring different therapeutic strategies in the future.

S-1 chemotherapy and intensity-modulated radiotherapy after D1/D2 lymph node dissection in patients with node-positive gastric cancer: a phase I/II study

BACKGROUND

This phase I/II clinical trial investigated S-1 administered with intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) as adjuvant therapy for node-positive gastric cancer. Patients had undergone radical resection and D1/D2 lymph node dissection.

METHODS

In phase I, patients received adjuvant chemoradiotherapy of IMRT (45 Gy in 25 fractions) with concurrent S-1 administered on a dose-escalation schedule to determine the recommended dose (RD). In phase II, the safety and efficacy of the RD of S-1 combined with IMRT were assessed.

RESULTS

We consecutively enrolled 73 patients (56 men; median age, 53 years; range, 29-73 years) and the phase I portion of the study included 27 patients. The RD of S-1 administered concomitantly with IMRT was 80 mg m^-2 day^-1 orally, twice daily. The phase II analysis included 52 patients (46 new patients plus 6 from phase I). 8 patients (15.4%) developed grade 3 or 4 toxicities. There were 21 recurrence events and 15 deaths (1 bowel obstruction, 14 gastric cancer). Three-year disease-free survival and overall survival were 62.2% (95% confidence interval (CI), 48.5-75.9) and 70.0% (95% CI, 56.3-83.7), respectively. The median time to recurrence was 17.5 months (range, 3.8-42.0). The median time from recurrence to death was 7.0 months (range, 1.5-28.7).

CONCLUSIONS

S-1 combined with IMRT adjuvant chemoradiotherapy is safe and efficacious for advanced gastric cancer.

[Risk-adapted postmastectomy radiotherapy based on local-regional recurrence for T1-2N1M0 breast Cancer]

Objective: To establish a risk-adapted postmastectomy radiotherapy strategy based on local-regional recurrence for intermediate-risk breast cancer (T1~2N1M0 stage). Methods: A total of 2413 patients with T1-2N1M0 breast cancer were retrospectively reviewed. Of them, 588 patients (24.4%) received postmastectomy radiotherapy (PMRT), while 1 825 (75.6%) patients did not. A comprehensive comparative study was performed by using multivariable and propensity score-matched (PSM) analyses. Results: The median follow-up time was 67.0 months, the 5-year local region recurrence free-survival (LRRFS), disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) were 93.8%, 85.7% and 93.3%, respectively. The 5-year local region recurrence (LRR) was 6.1%. For patients without PMRT, multivariable analysis indicated that age, tumor localization, molecular subtype, pathologic T stage and number of positive lymph node were independent factors for LRRFS (all of P<0.05). Patients with T1-2N1 breast cancer were classified into low-risk group (0-1 risk factor, 768 patients), intermediate-risk group (2 risk factors, 690 patients) and high-risk groups (≥3 risk factors, 544 patients) based on the five independent factors mentioned above. The 5-year LRRFS, DFS and OS were significantly different among the three groups (P<0.001). In low- and intermediate-risk groups, there were no significant differences in LRRFS, DFS and OS of patients who received PMRT or not (P>0.05). In high-risk group, the DFS of patients received PMRT or not were 79.8% and 74.4%, respectively (P=0.127), the OS of them were 86.8% and 87.1%, respectively (P=0.174), and the LRRFS were 93.3% and 84.3%, respectively (P=0.002). After PSM adjustment, no significant differences in LRRFS, DFS and OS were observed between PMRT-received subgroup and no PMRT subgroup of low-risk group (P>0.05). In intermediate-risk group, the LRRFS of patients received PMRT or not were 95.2% and 91.0%, respectively (P=0.037). However, in the high-risk group, the LRRFS, DFS and OS of patients received PMRT were 93.3%, 79.7% and 86.6%, respectively, while those of patients did not receive PMRT were 78.5% (P<0.001), 69.5% (P=0.038) and 85.7% (P=0.080), respectively. Conclusions: The local-regional recurrence risks of patients with pT1-2N1 breast cancer are viable and risk-adapted PMRT is available for them. Better prognoses can be achieved by the patients of intermediate and high-risk group. More samples on this subject are needed to validate the results.

[The role of postmastectomy radiotherapy in clinical T1-3N1M0 breast cancer patients with pathological negative lymph nodes after neoadjuvant chemotherapy and mastectomy]

Objective: To analyze the outcomes of clinical T1-3N1M0 breast cancer patients with pathological negative axillary lymph nodes (ypN0) after neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) and mastectomy, and investigate the role of postmastectomy radiotherapy (PMRT). Methods: A total of 185 patients with clinical T1-3N1M0 breast cancer treated between 1999 and 2013 were retrospectively reviewed. All patients were treated with NAC and mastectomy, and achieved ypN0. Of them, 89 patients received additional PMRT and 96 patients did not. 101 patients had clinical stage Ⅱ disease. 84 patients had clinical stage Ⅲ disease. The rates of locoregional recurrence (LRR), distant metastasis (DM), disease-free survival (DFS), and overall survival (OS) were calculated using the Kaplan-Meier method, and differences were compared using the log-rank test. Univariate analysis was used to interpret the impact of clinical features and treatment on patients' outcome. Results: The 5-year rates of LRR, DM, DFS, and OS for all patients were 4.5%, 10.4%, 86.6%, and 97.1%, respectively. For patients with and without PMRT, the 5-year LRR rates were 1.1% and 7.5% (P=0.071), the 5-year DM rates were 5.1% and 15.0% (P=0.023), the 5-year DFS rates were 95.0% and 79.0% (P=0.008), and the 5-year OS rates were 100.0% and 94.5% (P=0.089) respectively. In univariate analysis, lymph-vascular space invasion (LVSI) was poor prognostic factor of LRR (P=0.001), < 40 years old and lack of PMRT was a poor prognostic factor for DM (P<0.05), lack of PMRT was a poor prognostic factor for DFS (P=0.008), primary lesion residual and mild-moderate pathological response to NAC were poor prognostic factors for OS (P<0.05). In the subgroup of Stage Ⅲ disease, for patients with and without PMRT, the 5-year LRR rates were 1.9% and 14.4% (P=0.041), the 5-year DFS rates were 91.9% and 67.4% (P=0.022), respectively. In the subgroup of Stage Ⅱ disease, for patients with and without PMRT, the 5-year DM rates were 0 and 11.5% (P=0.044), the 5-year DFS rates were 100.0% and 84.9% (P=0.023), respectively. Conclusions: The LRR rate of clinical T1-3N1M0 breast cancer patients who achieved ypN0 after NAC and mastectomy was low. PMRT decreased the DM rate and increased DFS rate in all patients, and significantly decreased the LRR rate in Stage Ⅲ disease. PMRT should be considered for patients with Stage Ⅲ disease, and further research is warranted to investigate the benefit of PMRT for Stage Ⅱ disease.

[Prognostic value of sequencing of radiotherapy and chemotherapy following breast-conserving surgery for patients with breast cancer]

Objective: To evaluate the prognostic value of sequencing of adjuvant radiotherapy and chemotherapy following breast-conserving surgery for patients with breast cancer. Methods: A total of 1 154 patients withT1-2N0-3M0 breast cancer retrospectively reviewed. All patients received sequential radiotherapy and chemotherapy following breast-conserving surgery. Among them, 603 patients received radiotherapy first and 551 patients received chemotherapy first. Log-rank tests were used to determine significance of disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) rates in the Kaplan-Meier curve. Results: The 5-year DFS and OS rates for all patients were 93.0% and 97.8%. The 5-year OS rate was 98.6% in the radiotherapy first group and 96.4% in the chemotherapy first group (P=0.191), and the corresponding DFS rate was 92.7% and 93.2% (P=0.430), respectively. Among the patients with Luminal A subtype, the 5-year OS rate was 99.6% in the radiotherapy first group and 97.8% in the chemotherapy first group (P=0.789). Among the patients with Luminal B subtype, the 5-year OS rate was 94.2% and 96.0%, respectively (P=0.680). Among the patients with triple negative breast cancer, the 5-year OS rate was 100% and 90.9%, respectively, with statistically significant differences (P=0.019). Among the patients with HER-2 positive breast cancer, The 5-year DFS rate was 80.1% and 100%, respectively (P=0.045). Conclusions: The OS and DFS rates in the chemotherapy first group are not significantly different from those of radiotherapy first group after breast-conserving surgery. Patients with HER-2 positive breast cancer in chemotherapy first group have a much higher DFS rate than that of radiotherapy first group, whereas patients with triple negative breast cancer in radiotherapy first group have a better OS rate than that of chemotherapy first group. Further research is warranted to investigate the benefit of different molecular types in different sequencing of radiotherapy and chemotherapy after breast-conserving surgery.

[Prognostic differences of phenotypes in pT1-2N0 invasive breast cancer: a large cohort study with cluster analysis]

OBJECTIVE

To find phenotypic subgroups of patients with pT1-2N0 invasive breast cancer by means of cluster analysis and estimate the prognosis and clinicopathological features of these subgroups.

METHODS

From 1999 to 2013, 4979 patients with pT1-2N0 invasive breast cancer were recruited for hierarchical clustering analysis. Age (≤40, 41-70, 70+ years), size of primary tumor, pathological type, grade of differentiation, microvascular invasion, estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR) and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER-2) were chosen as distance metric between patients. Hierarchical cluster analysis was performed using Ward's method. Cophenetic correlation coefficient (CPCC) and Spearman correlation coefficient were used to validate clustering structures.

RESULTS

The CPCC was 0.603. The Spearman correlation coefficient was 0.617 (P<0.001), which indicated a good fit of hierarchy to the data. A twelve-cluster model seemed to best illustrate our patient cohort. Patients in cluster 5, 9 and 12 had best prognosis and were characterized by age >40 years, smaller primary tumor, lower histologic grade, positive ER and PR status, and mainly negative HER-2. Patients in the cluster 1 and 11 had the worst prognosis, The cluster 1 was characterized by a larger tumor, higher grade and negative ER and PR status, while the cluster 11 was characterized by positive microvascular invasion. Patients in other 7 clusters had a moderate prognosis, and patients in each cluster had distinctive clinicopathological features and recurrent patterns.

CONCLUSIONS

This study identified distinctive clinicopathologic phenotypes in a large cohort of patients with pT1-2N0 breast cancer through hierarchical clustering and revealed different prognosis. This integrative model may help physicians to make more personalized decisions regarding adjuvant therapy.

A CASE OF SPONTANEOUS REGRESSION OF IDIOPATHIC BILATERAL ADRENAL HEMORRHAGE IN A MIDDLE AGED WOMAN: 1 YEAR FOLLOW-UP

Background

Bilateral adrenal hemorrhage is a serious condition that can result in adrenal insufficiency, shock, acute adrenal crisis, and mortality if it is not managed with adequate treatment. We report a rare case of idiopathic bilateral adrenal hemorrhage.

Case presentation

A 50-year-old woman visited our hospital with complaints of right upper abdominal pain. A computed tomography (CT) revealed unilateral left adrenal gland hemorrhage. However, the results of rapid adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) stimulation test and adrenomedullary hormone function test were normal. Since the patient did not show signs of adrenal insufficiency, corticosteroid therapy was postponed and only supportive management therapy was started. After 1 week, a follow- up CT showed a previously unseen adrenal hemorrhage on the right adrenal gland, but the rapid ACTH stimulation test result was normal. One year later, no hemorrhagic signs were observed on the follow-up CT.

Conclusion

In most cases of idiopathic bilateral adrenal hemorrhage, patients are treated with steroid replacement therapy due to adrenal insufficiency. In some other cases, patients are treated with steroids despite the absence of adrenal insufficiency. Here we reported a very rare case of idiopathic bilateral adrenal hemorrhage sequentially to emphasize that before initiation of adrenal hormone replacement therapy, it is important to determine whether adrenal insufficiency is present. If there is no evidence of adrenal insufficiency, adrenal replacement therapy should be postponed until the presence of adrenal insufficiency is confirmed.

Baseline MRA predicts the treatment response to vasodilator udenafil in patients with secondary Raynaud's phenomenon

OBJECTIVES

High-resolution MR angiography (HR-MRA) demonstrates blood flow in the digital arteries, which correlates with the severity of Raynaud's phenomenon (RP). This study investigates whether baseline HR-MRA of the hand can predict the treatment response to udenafil, a new PDE5-inhibitor, in patients with secondary RP.

METHODS

Baseline MRA and Doppler ultrasound were obtained in 12 patients with secondary RP. The patients were treated with udenafil 100 mg/day for 4 weeks and changes in blood flow were measured. Blood flow on MRA was scored on a 4-point scale: 0, no visible flow; 1, visible flow to the proximal phalanx; 2, to the middle phalanx; and 3, to the distal phalanx. Peak systolic velocity (PSV) was measured to determine blood flow. Paired t-test and ANOVA were used to determine the treatment response of the different MRA scores.

RESULTS

On baseline MRA, 53.3% of digital arteries had an MRA score of 0, 25.8% MRA score of 1, 9.2% MRA score of 2, and 11.6% MRA score of 3. Overall, 4-week udenafil treatment improved digital flow (p<0.05) in all MRA scores. Digital arteries with MRA score 2 showed the best response with improvement in PSV by 14.5 mm/sec (p<0.01), whereas improvement in arteries of MRA scores 1 and 3 were not better than an MRA score of 0 (all, p>0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

Digital arteries with moderate blood flow observed on MRA respond best to treatment with udenalfil. Therefore, baseline MRA may help predict treatment response in patients with secondary RP.

Characteristics of pleural effusions in systemic lupus erythematosus: differential diagnosis of lupus pleuritis

We investigated the clinical characteristics of pleural effusion in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). A prospective analysis of 17 SLE patients with pleural effusion (seven lupus pleuritis, eight transudative effusions and two parapneumonic effusions) was performed. Thirty non-SLE patients with pleural effusion were recruited as controls. A pleural fluid ANA titer ≥1:160 was found in 8/17 (47.1%) SLE patients and none of the 30 non-SLE patients (p = 0.0001). Pleural fluid to serum C3 ratios were significantly lower in SLE than in non-SLE (median (minimum-maximum) 0.29 (0.03-0.43) versus 0.52 (0.26-0.73), p = 0.0002). Among SLE patients, pleural fluid ANA titers ≥1:160 were more frequently found in patients with lupus pleuritis than in those with pleural effusion from causes other than lupus itself (85.7% versus 20.0%, p = 0.0152). Serum CRP levels were significantly increased in patients with lupus pleuritis compared with SLE patients with transudative pleural effusion (2.30 (0.30-5.66) versus 0.7 (0.12-1.47) mg/dl, p = 0.0062). In conclusion, pleural fluid ANA titer and serum CRP levels are significantly increased in lupus pleuritis.

The association of radiographic progression with serum R-spondin 1 (RSPO1) levels or Dickkopf-1 (DKK1)/RSPO1 ratios in rheumatoid arthritis patients: clinical evidence for reciprocal inhibition between DKK1 and RSPO1

OBJECTIVES

To investigate the clinical implications of serum levels of R-spondin 1 (RSPO1), a natural antagonist for Dickkopf-1 (DKK1), and of DKK1/RSPO1 ratios in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients.

METHOD

Serum DKK1 and RSPO1 levels were measured in 102 RA patients and 39 age- and gender-matched healthy controls. In addition, DKK1 and RSPO1 levels were determined prior to and 3 months after anti-tumour necrosis factor alpha (anti-TNF-α) therapy in 15 RA patients. Clinical and laboratory data and baseline radiographs of the hands and feet were obtained. Serial radiographs were evaluated in 83 RA patients. Radiographic joint damage was assessed by the modified Sharp/van der Heijde score (SHS).

RESULTS

Serum RSPO1 levels were significantly reduced whereas serum DKK1 levels and DKK1/RSPO1 ratios were significantly increased in RA patients compared with controls (all p < 0.0001). Anti-TNF-α treatment significantly suppressed DKK1/RSPO1 ratios (p < 0.01). In contrast to DKK1 or RSPO1 levels, the ratios were significantly associated with erosive disease, elevated acute phase reactants, Disease Activity Score in 28 joints (DAS28) > 3.2, and radiographic progression rate (all p < 0.05). Although the RA patients with radiographic progression exhibited significantly increased DKK1 and reduced RSPO1 levels (p < 0.05), only the DKK1/RSPO1 ratio (log-transformed) was found to be a significant predictor of subsequent radiographic progression [odds ratio (OR) 2.07, p < 0.01].

CONCLUSIONS

In this study, the presence of RSPO1 in the circulation was shown for the first time. Our results suggest that the serum DKK1/RSPO1 ratio represents a better predictor of structural progression than either DKK1 or RSPO1 levels alone in RA patients.

Decreased tumour necrosis factor-α production by monocytes of granulomatosis with polyangiitis

OBJECTIVES

We hypothesized that monocytes in patients with granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA) are polarized towards alternative activation with decreased tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-α production and that tissue-infiltrating monocytes/macrophages in granulomatous GPA lesions express CD163, a marker of alternative macrophage activation.

METHOD

CD16+ monocytes in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were quantified by flow cytometry. Monocytes were stimulated with increasing concentrations of lipopolysaccharide (LPS), and TNF-α production was measured at 4 and 24 h. CD163 expression in lung biopsies of patients with GPA was detected by immunohistochemistry.

RESULTS

Circulating CD16+ monocytes were more frequent in GPA patients compared to controls (4.7 ± 2.8% vs. 1.9 ± 1.2%, p < 0.001). Upon activation with LPS, TNF-α production did not differ between CD16+ and CD16- monocytes. Stimulated monocytes from GPA patients produced significantly less TNF-α compared with monocytes from healthy controls (2903 ± 1320 pg/mL vs. 8335 ± 4569 pg/mL, p < 0.001). Macrophages expressing CD163 were enriched in granulomatous lung lesions of GPA patients.

CONCLUSIONS

Decreased TNF-α production by circulating monocytes and CD163 overexpression by tissue monocytes/macrophages in granulomatous pulmonary lesions may suggest that monocytes/macrophages are alternatively activated in GPA.

Bone marrow analysis of immune cells and apoptosis in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus

OBJECTIVES

To examine the immune cell profile in the bone marrow of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients and to assess its clinical relevance.

METHODS

Sixteen bone marrow samples from 14 SLE patients were compared with seven healthy control samples. The numbers of immune cells and apoptotic cells in the bone marrow were examined by immunohistochemistry. The association between immune cell subsets and clinical features was investigated.

RESULTS

CD4+ T cells, macrophages and plasma cells were more common in the bone marrow of SLE patients than in healthy controls (p=0.001, p=0.004 and p<0.001, respectively). Greater numbers of CD4+ T cells and macrophages were associated with high-grade bone marrow damage. The percentage of apoptotic cells in bone marrow of SLE patients was significantly higher than that in controls (p<0.001) and was positively correlated with the number of plasmacytoid dendritic cells (p=0.013). Increased number of plasma cells along with high interleukin-6 expression was correlated with anti-double stranded DNA antibody levels and the SLE disease activity index (p=0.031 and 0.013, respectively).

CONCLUSION

Bone marrow from SLE patients showed a distinct immune cell profile and increased apoptosis. This, coupled with a correlation with disease activity, suggests that the bone marrow may play a critical role in the pathogenesis of SLE.

Costs of illness and quality of life in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus in South Korea

OBJECTIVE

To assess the costs of illness, health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and their associated factors in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) in South Korea.

METHOD

Two hundred and one patients with SLE were enrolled at the Rheumatology clinic of Seoul National University Hospital. Direct, indirect and total costs and HRQOL were measured using hospital electronic data and face-to-face interview. Socio-demographic and clinical factors associated with cost of illness and HRQOL were analyzed using multiple regression and multivariate logistic regression.

RESULTS

The average total cost of illness was estimated to be KRW 9.82 million (US $ 8993) per year, of which 41.6% was accounted for by direct costs and 58.4% by indirect costs. In multivariate regression, patients with renal involvement and those with depression incurred an average increment in annual total costs of 37.6% (p = 0.050) and 49.1% (p = 0.024), respectively, and an average increment in annual direct costs of 26.4% (p = 0.050) and 43.3% (p = 0.002), respectively, compared with patients without renal involvement and depression, respectively. In addition, disease damage was positively associated with an average increment in annual total and direct costs (55.3%, p = 0.006; 33.3%, p = 0.013, respectively), and the occurrence of indirect costs (OR 2.21, 1.09-4.88). There was no significant difference in HRQOL between patients with and without renal involvement (0.655 vs. 0.693, p = 0.203) CONCLUSION: Renal involvement, depression, and disease damage were major factors associated with higher total and medical costs for patients with SLE in South Korea. Effective treatment of renal disorders and depression may reduce the high economic burden of SLE.

Association between bone marrow lesions detected by magnetic resonance imaging and knee pain in community residents in Korea

OBJECTIVE

To describe the frequency of bone marrow lesions (BMLs) detected by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and to examine the association of BMLs with knee pain severity in community residents in Korea.

METHODS

Participants were randomly chosen from the population-based Hallym Aging Study, irrespective of whether they had knee osteoarthritis (OA) or pain. Demographic and knee pain data were obtained by questionnaire. Radiographic evaluations consisted of weight-bearing knee anteroposterior radiographs and 1.5-T MRI scans. MRI was performed in the dominant knees of subjects without knee pain and in the more symptomatic knees of subjects with knee pain. BMLs were graded according to the whole-organ MRI score.

RESULTS

The mean age of the 358 study subjects was 71.8 years, and 34.5% of subjects had radiographically detected knee OA. The prevalences of BMLs and large BMLs in the tibiofemoral compartments were 80.3% and 40.4%, respectively. After adjusting for age, sex, and body mass index, total and medial compartment BML scores were significantly associated with the presence of knee pain, and the association was stronger as the summary score for BML increased. In proportional regression analysis, knee pain severity increased with BML severity in any compartment and in the medial compartment.

CONCLUSION

BMLs detected by MRI were highly prevalent in this elderly Asian population. BMLs were significantly linked to knee pain, and BML severity correlated with knee pain severity. BMLs may be important surrogate targets for monitoring pain and structure modification in OA therapeutics.

Autoantibodies in Sjögren's syndrome patients acutely inhibit muscarinic receptor function

OBJECTIVES

Autoantibodies from the sera of Sjögren's syndrome patients (SS IgG) have been suggested to inhibit muscarinic receptor function. However, the acute nature of such an inhibitory effect remains controversial. In this study, we investigated the acute effects of SS IgG on muscarinic receptor function in human submandibular gland (HSG) cells.

METHODS

The effects of autoantibodies on muscarinic receptor function were studied using microspectrofluorimetry, whole-cell patch clamp, immunofluorescence confocal microscopy, and a co-immunoprecipitation assay.

RESULTS

Carbachol (CCh) was found to consistently increase intracellular calcium concentration ([Ca(2+) ](i) ) and activate K(+) current in HSG cells. However, pretreatment of the cells with SS IgG for 5 or 30 min significantly attenuated these responses, with a substantially more prominent effect after 30 min of treatment. Like CCh, adenosine 5'-triphosphate (ATP) also increased [Ca(2+) ](i) and activated K(+) currents in HSG cells, although pretreatment with SS IgG did not affect the cellular response to ATP. CCh was found to reorganize α-fodrin in HSG cells in a Ca(2+) -dependent manner. However, pretreatment with SS IgG prevented the cytoskeletal reorganization of α-fodrin induced by CCh.

CONCLUSIONS

SS IgG acutely and reversibly inhibited muscarinic receptor function, thereby inhibiting the Ca(2+) mobilization necessary for the activation of K(+) currents and α-fodrin reorganization in HSG cells.

Adenosine A2A receptor polymorphisms in Korean patients with systemic sclerosis

Adenosine A2A receptor (ADORA2A) regulates inflammation, promotes tissue repair and collagen production by human dermal fibroblasts. We investigated the genetic polymorphisms of ADORA2A in susceptibility to systemic sclerosis (SSc). We genotyped 142 Korean SSc patients and 150 controls for polymorphisms of -1751A/C (rs5996696) and 1976C/T (rs5751876), to cover the promoter and all exon sequences of ADORA2A in Koreans, using TaqMan fluorogenic 5' nuclease assay and single base primer extension assay. Neither -1751A/C nor 1976C/T polymorphism showed difference in the distribution of alleles or genotypes between patients and controls with allele frequency of 89.9% v 91.0% for -1751A (p=0.64) and 56.5% v 54.0% for 1976C (p=0.55). Our findings suggest that the role of ADORA2A in SSc may not be genetically related.

Unfavorable prognosis of elderly patients with early-stage extranodal nasal-type NK/T-cell lymphoma

BACKGROUND

Extranodal nasal-type NK (natural killer)/T-cell lymphoma in elderly patients is rare, and its prognosis is unclear. This study aims to investigate the clinical characteristics and prognosis of this lymphoma.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

We analyzed 24 patients (age, >60 years old) with early-stage extranodal nasal-type NK/T-cell lymphoma. Among these patients, 23 received radiotherapy alone (n = 15) or radiotherapy and chemotherapy (n = 8) and 1 received chemotherapy alone.

RESULTS

Elderly patients with early-stage extranodal nasal-type NK/T-cell lymphoma were characterized by male predominance, good performance, large proportion of localized disease, more comorbidities, low-risk international prognostic index, and unfavorable prognosis. The 5-year cancer-specific survival (CSS), overall survival (OS), and progression-free survival (PFS) rates for all patients were 54.3%, 42.0%, and 40.2%, respectively. The 5-year CSS, OS, and PFS rates were 43.5%, 36.6%, and 34.1% in patients who received radiotherapy alone, and 50%, 50%, and 50% in patients who received radiotherapy and chemotherapy, respectively (P = 0.852 for CSS, P = 0.801 for OS, and P = 0.694 for PFS). Four patients died of treatment-related mortality.

CONCLUSION

Elderly patients with early-stage extranodal nasal-type NK/T-cell lymphoma exhibit poor prognosis and need special attention because of high treatment-related mortality.

Autoantibodies in rheumatoid arthritis: rheumatoid factors and anticitrullinated protein antibodies

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a systemic inflammatory autoimmune disease, characterized by chronic, erosive polyarthritis and by the presence of various autoantibodies in serum and synovial fluid. Since rheumatoid factor (RF) was first described, a number of other autoantibodies have been discovered in RA patients. The autoantigens recognized by these autoantibodies include cartilage components, chaperones, enzymes, nuclear proteins and citrullinated proteins. However, the clinical significances and pathogenic roles of these antibodies are largely unknown except for RF and anticitrullinated protein antibodies (ACPAs), whose clinical usefulness has been acknowledged due to their acceptable sensitivities and specificities, and prognostic values. This review presents and discusses the current state of the art regarding RF and ACPA in RA.

Serum levels of soluble triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells-1 (sTREM-1) and pentraxin 3 (PTX3) as markers of infection in febrile patients with systemic lupus erythematosus

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the role of sTREM-1 and PTX3 as markers of infection in febrile patients with SLE.

METHODS

In febrile (body temperature > or =38 degrees C) patients with SLE, blood samples of day 0, 1, 2, and 14 after presentation were drawn and relevant clinical data were collected. The patients were allocated to an infection group (n=19) or disease flare group (n=14). Serum levels of sTREM-1 and PTX3 were measured by ELISA using the serum samples of SLE patients and age- and sex-matched healthy controls (n=31).

RESULTS

A total of 33 febrile episodes occurred in 32 SLE patients (19 infections, 14 flares) were studied. sTREM-1 levels on day 0 were significantly higher in the infection group than in the flare group (109.9 pg/ml (median) vs. 48.0 pg/ml, p=0.002), but PTX3 levels were similar in these two groups. The difference of sTREM-1 levels between infection group and flare group was persistent on day 1 and 2 (day 1, p=0.007; day 2, p=0.034). The highest diagnostic value (sensitivity=1.0, specificity=0.664) of sTREM-1 was obtained at the threshold value of 53.2 pg/mL.

CONCLUSION

Serum sTREM-1 levels were significantly higher in the infection group than in the flare group of febrile SLE patients. Our findings suggest that serum sTREM-1 levels could be used to determine whether SLE patients have contracted an infection.

Receptor activator of nuclear factor kappa B ligand-mediated osteoclastogenesis is elevated in ankylosing spondylitis

OBJECTIVE

Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is an inflammatory arthritis involving the axial skeleton. Decreased bone mineral density has also been reported in AS patients. This study sought to determine whether osteoclastogenesis and osteoclast activity are increased in AS.

METHODS

Twenty patients with AS were evaluated using the Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index (BASDAI) and other clinical parameters. Mononuclear cells were separated out from peripheral blood samples taken from AS patients and normal healthy controls and cultured with monocyte colony stimulating factor and receptor activator of the nuclear factor kappa B ligand (RANKL). Multi-nucleated, tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase stain-positive osteoclasts were counted after 9 days, and the areas of calcium absorption on calcium-coated plates were determined.

RESULTS

Osteoclastogenesis was significantly greater in AS patients than in normal controls (number of osteoclasts/1106 mononuclear cells, median, 518.0 vs. 362.5, p=0.036). No differences were observed between AS patients and controls in terms of calcium absorption areas or the serum concentrations of tumor necrosis factor and RANKL. Osteoclastogenesis was greater in AS patients with sacroiliac joint ankylosis than in those without. Osteoclastogenesis and the calcium absorption area were not found to be correlated with BASDAI nor with other clinical parameters including age, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, and C-reactive protein levels.

CONCLUSION

Osteoclastogenesis is elevated in AS patients, especially in those with sacroiliac joint ankylosis. Increased osteoclastogenesis may be related to osteopenia in AS patients.