The complexity of glucose time series is associated with short- and long-term mortality in critically ill adults: a multi-center, prospective, observational study

BACKGROUND

The wealth of data taken from continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) remains to be fully used. We aimed to evaluate the relationship between a promising new CGM metric, complexity of glucose time series index (CGI), and mortality in critically ill patients.

METHODS

A total of 293 patients admitted to mixed medical/surgical intensive care units from 5 medical centers in Shanghai were prospectively included between May 2020 and November 2021. CGI was assessed using intermittently scanned CGM, with a median monitoring period of 12.0 days. Outcome measures included short- and long-term mortality.

RESULTS

During a median follow-up period of 1.7 years, a total of 139 (47.4%) deaths were identified, of which 73 (24.9%) occurred within the first 30 days after ICU admission, and 103 (35.2%) within 90 days. The multivariable-adjusted HRs for 30-day mortality across ascending tertiles of CGI were 1.00 (reference), 0.68 (95% CI 0.38-1.22) and 0.36 (95% CI 0.19-0.70), respectively. For per 1-SD increase in CGI, the risk of 30-day mortality was decreased by 51% (HR 0.49, 95% CI 0.35-0.69). Further adjustment for HbA1c, mean glucose during hospitalization and glucose variability partially attenuated these associations, although the link between CGI and 30-day mortality remained significant (per 1-SD increase: HR 0.57, 95% CI 0.40-0.83). Similar results were observed when 90-day mortality was considered as the outcome. Furthermore, CGI was also significantly and independently associated with long-term mortality (per 1-SD increase: HR 0.77, 95% CI 0.61-0.97).

CONCLUSIONS

In critically ill patients, CGI is significantly associated with short- and long-term mortality.

[Prognostic significance of textbook outcome in advanced gastric patients who underwent neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by surgical resection]

Objective: To investigate the risk factors and prognostic value of the textbook outcome (TO) in patients with advanced gastric cancer (AGC) who underwent neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by surgical resection. Methods: This is a retrospective cohort study. A total of 253 patients with AGC who underwent neoadjuvant chemotherapy combined with gastrectomy and D2 lymphadenectomy in the Department of Gastric Surgery, Fujian Medical University Union Hospital from January 2010 to December 2019 were retrospectively included. There were 195 males and 58 females, aged (60.3±10.0) years (range: 27 to 75 years). The patients were then divided into the TO group (n=168) and the non-TO group (n=85). Multivariate Logistic regression was used to analyze the independent predictors of TO. Univariate and multivariate Cox analysis were used to analyze independent prognosis factors for overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS). Propensity score matching was performed to balance the TO and non-TO groups, and the Kaplan-Meier method was used to calculate survival rates and draw survival curves. Results: Among the 253 patients, 168 patients (66.4%) achieved TO. The Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group score (OR=0.488, 95%CI: 0.278 to 0.856, P=0.012) and ypN stage (OR=0.626, 95%CI:0.488 to 0.805, P<0.01) were independently predictive of TO. Multivariate analysis revealed that TO was an independent risk factor for both OS (HR=0.662, 95%CI: 0.457 to 0.959,P=0.029) and DFS (HR=0.687, 95%CI: 0.483 to 0.976, P=0.036). After matching, the 5-year OS rate (42.2% vs. 27.8%) and the 5-year DFS rate (37.5% vs. 27.8%) were significantly higher in the TO group than in the non-TO group (both P<0.05). Furthermore, patients in the non-TO group benefited significantly from postoperative chemotherapy (both P<0.05), but those in the TO group did not (both P>0.05). Conclusion: TO is an independent prognosis factor in patients undergoing neoadjuvant chemotherapy and surgery for AGC and is associated with postoperative chemotherapy benefits.

MRI-based radiomics model to preoperatively predict mesenchymal transition subtype in high-grade serous ovarian cancer

AIM

To develop a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-based radiomics model for the preoperative identification of mesenchymal transition (MT) subtype in high-grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

One hundred and eighty-nine patients with histopathologically confirmed HGSOC were enrolled retrospectively. Among the included patients, 55 patients were determined as the MT subtype and the remaining 134 were non-MT subtype. After extracting a total of 204 features from T2-weighted imaging (T2WI) and contrast-enhanced (CE)-T1WI images, the Mann-Whitney U-test, Spearman correlation test, and Boruta algorithm were adopted to select the optimal feature set. Three classifiers, including logistic regression (LR), support vector machine (SVM), and random forest (RF), were trained to develop radiomics models. The performance of established models was evaluated from three aspects: discrimination, calibration, and clinical utility.

RESULTS

Seven radiomics features relevant to MT subtypes were selected to build the radiomics models. The model based on the RF algorithm showed the best performance in predicting MT subtype, with areas under the curves (AUCs) of 0.866 (95 % confidence interval [CI]: 0.797-0.936) and 0.852 (95 % CI: 0.736-0.967) in the training and testing cohorts, respectively. The calibration curves, supported with Brier scores, indicated very good consistency between observation and prediction. Decision curve analysis (DCA) showed that the RF-based model could provide more net benefit, which suggested favorable utility in clinical application.

CONCLUSION

The RF-based radiomics model provided accurate identification of MT from the non-MT subtype and may help facilitate personalised management of HGSOC.

Reevaluation of the protein requirement in Chinese elderly adults without sarcopenia with the indicator amino acid oxidation technique

It is now generally believed that elderly may have slightly higher dietary protein requirements than those of the young-middle-aged adults. We have previously conducted related studies by the indicator amino acid oxidation (IAAO) technique, but more research data are needed to revise the protein requirements of the elderly. The main objective was to reevaluate the dietary protein requirements of healthy Chinese adults (65-80 years) without sarcopenia by using the IAAO technique. Nine healthy adult men and seven healthy adult women participated in the study, with protein intakes ranging from 0·1 to 1·8 g/(kg·d). Diets that delivered energy at a 1·5 resting energy expenditure were isocaloric. The amounts of phenylalanine and tyrosine needed to remain constant for each protein dosage. By applying a nonlinear mixed-effects model analysis on the F13CO2 data, which revealed a breakpoint in F13CO2 in response to graded protein intakes, the mean protein requirement was calculated. The mean estimated average requirement (EAR) for healthy elderly Chinese adults without sarcopenia was determined to be 0·94 g/(kg·d). The protein recommended nutrient intake (RNI) determined using various derivation approaches ranged from 1·13 to 1·36 g/(kg·d). The EAR for Chinese adults without sarcopenia aged 65-80 years in this study is 6·8 % higher than the current recommended EAR (0·88 g/(kg·d)). The RNI derived using various derivation approaches are all greater than the current RNI (0·98 g/(kg·d)). This trial was registered with the Chinese clinical trial registry as ChiCTR2200061382.

Genome-wide association analysis of eggshell color of an F2 generation population reveals candidate genes in chickens

Eggshell color is an important visual characteristic that affects consumer preferences for eggs. Eggshell color, which has moderate to high heritability, can be effectively enhanced through molecular marker selection. Various studies have been conducted on eggshell color at specific time points. However, few longitudinal data are available on eggshell color. Therefore, the objective of this study was to investigate eggshell color using the Commission International de L'Eclairage L*a*b* system with multiple measurements at different ages (age at the first egg and at 32, 36, 40, 44, 48, 52, 56, 60, 66, and 72 weeks) within the same individuals from an F2 resource population produced by crossing White Leghorn and Dongxiang Blue chicken. Using an Affymetrix 600 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) array, we estimated the genetic parameters of the eggshell color trait, performed genome-wide association studies (GWASs), and screened for the potential candidate genes. The results showed that pink-shelled eggs displayed a significant negative correlation between L* values and both a* and b* values. Genetic heritability based on SNPs showed that the heritability of L*, a*, and b* values ranged from 0.32 to 0.82 for pink-shelled eggs, indicating a moderate to high level of genetic control. The genetic correlations at each time point were mostly above 0.5. The major-effect regions affecting the pink eggshell color were identified in the 10.3-13.0 Mb interval on Gallus gallus chromosome 20, and candidate genes were selected, including SLC35C2, PCIF1, and SLC12A5. Minor effect polygenic regions were identified on chromosomes 1, 6, 9, 12, and 15, revealing 11 candidate genes, including MTMR3 and SLC35E4. Members of the solute carrier family play an important role in influencing eggshell color. Overall, our findings provide valuable insights into the phenotypic and genetic aspects underlying the variation in eggshell color. Using GWAS analysis, we identified multiple quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for pink eggshell color, including a major QTL on chromosome 20. Genetic variants associated with eggshell color may be used in genomic breeding programs.

[Estrogen, estrogen receptor and miR-21 in adenomyosis: their pathogenic roles and regulatory interactions]

OBJECTIVE

To explore the pathogenic roles of miR-21, estrogen (E2), and estrogen receptor (ER) in adenomyosis.

METHODS

We examined the expression levels of miR-21 in specimens of adenomyotic tissue and benign cervical lesions using qRT-PCR. In primary cultures of cells isolated from the adenomyosis lesions, the effect of ICI82780 (an ER inhibitor) on miR-21 expression levels prior to E2 activation or after E2 deprivation were examined with qRT-PCR. We further assessed the effects of a miR-21 mimic or an inhibitor on proliferation, apoptosis, migration and autophagy of the cells.

RESULTS

The expression level of miR-21 was significantly higher in adenomyosis tissues than in normal myometrium (P < 0.05). In the cells isolated from adenomyosis lesions, miR-21 expression level was significantly higher in E2 activation group than in ER inhibition + E2 activation group and the control group (P < 0.05); miR-21 expression level was significantly lower in cells in E2 deprivation+ER inhibition group than in E2 deprivation group and the control group (P < 0.05). The adenomyosis cells transfected with miR-21 inhibitor showed inhibited proliferation and migration, expansion of mitochondrial endoplasmic reticulum, increased lysosomes, presence of autophagosomes, and increased cell apoptosis, while transfection of the cells with the miR-21 mimic produced the opposite effects.

CONCLUSION

MiR-21 plays an important role in promoting proliferation, migration, and antiapoptosis in adenomyosis cells by altering the cell ultrastructure, which may contribute to early pathogenesis of the disease. In addition to binding with E2, ER can also regulate miR-21 through other pathways to participate in the pathogenesis of adenomyosis, thus having a stronger regulatory effect on miR-21 than E2.

Application of machine learning techniques in the diagnostic approach of PTSD using MRI neuroimaging data: A systematic review

Background

At present, the diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder（PTSD） mainly relies on clinical symptoms and psychological scales, and finding objective indicators that are helpful for diagnosis has always been a challenge in clinical practice and academic research. Neuroimaging is a useful and powerful tool for discovering the biomarkers of PTSD,especially functional MRI (fMRI), structural MRI (sMRI) and Diffusion Weighted Imaging（DTI）are the most commonly used technologies, which can provide multiple perspectives on brain function, structure and its connectivity. Machine learning (ML) is an emerging and potentially powerful method, which has aroused people's interest because it is used together with neuroimaging data to define brain structural and functional abnormalities related to diseases, and identify phenotypes, such as helping physicians make early diagnosis.

Objectives

According to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) declaration, a systematic review was conducted to assess its accuracy in distinguishing between PTSD patients, TEHC(Trauma-Exposed Healthy Controls), and HC(healthy controls).

Methods

We searched PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science using common words for ML methods and PTSD until June 2023, with no language or time limits. This review includes 13 studies, with sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy taken from each publication or acquired directly from the authors.

Results

All ML techniques have an diagnostic accuracy rate above 70%，and support vector machine（SVM） are the most commonly used techniques. This series of studies has revealed significant neurobiological differences in key brain regions among individuals with PTSD, TEHC, and HC. The connectivity patterns of regions such as the Insula and Amygdala hold particular significance in distinguishing these groups. TEHC exhibits more normal connectivity patterns compared to PTSD, providing valuable insights for the application of machine learning in PTSD diagnosis.

Conclusion

In contrast to any currently available assessment and clinical diagnosis, ML techniques can be used as an effective and non-invasive support for early identification and detection of patients as well as for early screening of high-risk populations.

Adaptive Feature Medical Segmentation Network: an adaptable deep learning paradigm for high-performance 3D brain lesion segmentation in medical imaging

Introduction

In neurological diagnostics, accurate detection and segmentation of brain lesions is crucial. Identifying these lesions is challenging due to its complex morphology, especially when using traditional methods. Conventional methods are either computationally demanding with a marginal impact/enhancement or sacrifice fine details for computational efficiency. Therefore, balancing performance and precision in compute-intensive medical imaging remains a hot research topic.

Methods

We introduce a novel encoder-decoder network architecture named the Adaptive Feature Medical Segmentation Network (AFMS-Net) with two encoder variants: the Single Adaptive Encoder Block (SAEB) and the Dual Adaptive Encoder Block (DAEB). A squeeze-and-excite mechanism is employed in SAEB to identify significant data while disregarding peripheral details. This approach is best suited for scenarios requiring quick and efficient segmentation, with an emphasis on identifying key lesion areas. In contrast, the DAEB utilizes an advanced channel spatial attention strategy for fine-grained delineation and multiple-class classifications. Additionally, both architectures incorporate a Segmentation Path (SegPath) module between the encoder and decoder, refining segmentation, enhancing feature extraction, and improving model performance and stability.

Results

AFMS-Net demonstrates exceptional performance across several notable datasets, including BRATs 2021, ATLAS 2021, and ISLES 2022. Its design aims to construct a lightweight architecture capable of handling complex segmentation challenges with high precision.

Discussion

The proposed AFMS-Net addresses the critical balance issue between performance and computational efficiency in the segmentation of brain lesions. By introducing two tailored encoder variants, the network adapts to varying requirements of speed and feature. This approach not only advances the state-of-the-art in lesion segmentation but also provides a scalable framework for future research in medical image processing.

Effects of manganese glycine on eggshell quality, eggshell ultrastructure, and elemental deposition in aged laying hens

Poor eggshell quality of eggs laid by aged laying hens is the major problem affecting the length of the rearing period in the laying hen industry. Trace elements are required and play vital roles in the eggshell quality of laying hens. Appropriate dose of organic microelements is environmentally friendly and sufficient to satisfy the needs of hens because of their greater bioavailability and lower excretion than inorganic forms. The aim of this experiment was to investigate the effects of manganese (Mn) glycine (MG) on eggshell quality, elemental deposition, and eggshell ultrastructure in aged laying hens. A total of 720 Hy-Line Brown hens 70 weeks old were assigned equally to four groups with six replicates of 30 birds each. The hens were fed basal diets (without Mn supplementation) supplemented with 120 mg/kg of Mn from manganese sulfate monohydrate (MSM), or 40, 80, or 120 mg/kg Mn from MG for 12 weeks. Dietary supplementation with 80 mg/kg Mn from MG resulted in the greatest eggshell strength after 6 weeks of treatment (P = 0.047), and in greater eggshell strength than observed in the MSM control after 12 weeks of treatment (P = 0.025). After 12 weeks of treatment, the eggs of hens in the MG groups showed lower mammillary layer thickness in the blunt end, equator, and acute end than observed in the MSM control group (P < 0.001). With the exception of the blunt ends of eggs from hens in the 120 mg/kg MG group, the eggs of hens in the MG groups, compared with the MSM control group, exhibited a lower mammillary layer ratio, and greater palisade layer ratio and effective layer ratio in the blunt end, equator, and acute end (P < 0.001). Dietary supplementation with 80 mg/kg Mn from MG, compared with the MSM control and 40 and 120 mg/kg MG, resulted in the greatest palisade layer thickness and effective layer thickness, and the lowest mammillary layer thickness in the equator (P < 0.001, P = 0.001, P < 0.001, respectively). Furthermore, supplementation with 80 mg/kg Mn from MG exhibited the greatest ratio of the palisade layer and effective layer, and the lowest mammillary layer ratio in the blunt end and equator (all P < 0.001). The Mn content of eggshells in hens-fed diets supplemented with 80 and 120 mg/kg Mn from MG was greater than that in the MSM control and 40 mg/kg MG groups (P = 0.035). Dietary supplementation with 80 or 120 mg/kg Mn from MG resulted in greater tibia Mn content than observed in the 40 mg/kg MG group (P = 0.019), and greater yolk Mn content than observed in the 40 mg/kg MG and MSM control groups (P = 0.018). In conclusion, dietary supplementation with 80 mg/kg Mn from MG, compared with the MSM control (120 mg/kg Mn), may increase the deposition efficiency of Mn, alter eggshell elemental composition, improve eggshell ultrastructure, and enhance eggshell strength in aged laying hens.

[Analysis of clinical manifestations and prognosis of primary systemic light chain amyloidosis with liver involvement]

Objective: To summarize the clinical manifestations and prognostic factors of patients with hepatic amyloidosis in a single center. Methods: The clinical data of 28 primary systemic light chain amyloidosis cases with liver involvement in our center from October 2012 to January 2023 were retrospectively analyzed. The main clinical manifestations and prognostic factors were studied. Statistical analysis were performed using the χ(2) test, Fisher's exact test, Wilcoxon rank test, or Kaplan-Meier survival curve log-rank test according to the different data. Results: The main clinical manifestations of patients with liver involvement were abdominal distension, hepatomegaly, and edema. CD56 and chemokine receptor 4 protein expression accounted for 52% (13/25) and 56% (14/25). 64.3% (9/14) patients were combined with t (11,14), and 21.4% (3/14) patients were positive for 1q21 (+), and no patients were detected with del(17p). Univariate analysis showed that Mayo 2004 and 2012 stages and total bilirubin (TBil) ≥34.2 μmol/L were associated with progression-free survival and overall survival. The median progression-free survival and overall survival were significantly inferior in patients with TBil≥34.2μmol/L group (0.178 years, 0.195 years) than with the TBil<34.2μmol/L group (0.750 years, 3.586 years) (P < 0.05). Conclusion: Mayo stage and hyperbilirubinemia are inferior prognostic factors for patients with primary systemic light chain amyloidosis accompanied with liver involvement.

Effects of exogenous energy on synthesis of steroid hormones and expression characteristics of the CREB/StAR signaling pathway in theca cells of laying hen

Energy and the cAMP-response element binding protein (CREB)/steroidogenic acute regulatory protein (StAR) signaling pathway play important roles in steroid hormone production and follicular development in hens. This present study aimed to investigate the effects of exogenous energy on the synthesis of steroid hormones and the expression characteristics of the CREB/StAR signaling pathway in theca cells of laying hen. The primary theca cells of small yellow follicles were randomly divided into 6 treatments and cultured in medium with glucose concentrations of 1, 1.5, 3, 4.5, 6, and 7.5 mg/mL for 48 h. It was found that growth was robust and cell outlines were clear when cells were cultured with 1, 1.5, 3, and 4.5 mg/mL glucose, but cell viability was diminished and cell density decreased after exposure to glucose at 6 and 7.5 mg/mL for 48 h. Cell viability showed an increasing and then decreasing quadratic response to increasing glucose concentration in culture (r2 = 0.688, P < 0.001). The cell viability of theca cells cultured with 4.5 mg/mL glucose was greater than those cultured with 1, 1.5, 6, and 7.5 mg/mL glucose (P < 0.05). The concentration of estradiol in the medium containing 3 mg/mL glucose was higher than in medium containing 1, 1.5, and 6 mg/mL glucose (P < 0.05). There was an increasing and then decreasing quadratic correlation between progesterone concentrations and glucose concentrations (r2 = 0.522, P = 0.002). The concentration of progesterone in medium with 4.5 mg/mL glucose was higher than in medium with 1 and 7.5 mg/mL glucose (P < 0.05). There was an increasing and then decreasing quadratic correlation between the relative expression of CREB1 (r2 = 0.752, P < 0.001), StAR (r2 = 0.456, P = 0.002), CYP1B1 (r2 = 0.568, P < 0.001), and 3β-HSD (r2 = 0.319, P = 0.018) in theca cells of laying hens and glucose concentrations after treatment with different glucose concentrations for 48 h. After treatment with 4.5 mg/mL glucose, the expression of StAR, CYP1B1, and 3β-HSD genes were increased compared to treatment with 1, 1.5, 3, 6, and 7.5 mg/mL glucose (P < 0.001). There was an increasing and then decreasing quadratic correlation between glucose concentrations and protein expression of CREB1 (r2 = 0.819, P < 0.001), StAR (r2 = 0.844, P < 0.001), 3β-HSD (r2 = 0.801, P < 0.001), and CYP11A1 (r2 = 0.800, P < 0.001) in theca cells of laying hens. The protein expression of CREB1, StAR, and 3β-HSD in theca cells cultured with 4.5 mg/mL glucose was higher than in other groups (P < 0.001). The results indicate that the appropriate glucose concentration (4.5 mg/mL) can improve the synthesis of steroid hormones in theca cells of laying hens through the upregulation of key genes and proteins in the CREB/StAR signaling pathway.

[Changes in protein requirements of elderly people over 5 years assessed using the indicator amino acid oxidation method]

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the changes in protein requirements of the elderly during the past five years.

METHODS

Based on the previous study of protein requirements of 14 elderly in 2017, 4 of these elderly(70-80 y) were included as study participants and protein requirements were re-evaluated using the indicator amino acid oxidation method. There were seven protein levels: 0.1, 0.3, 0.6, 0.9, 1.2, 1.5 and 1.8 g/(kg·d). Maintenance diets were given for the first two days of each protein level. A stable isotope study was conducted on the day 3, using L-~(13)C-phenylalanine as an indicator on the basis of an amino acid rationed diet, which was orally ingested into the body along with the amino acid rationed diet, and breath and urine samples were collected when the metabolism of L-~(13)C-phenylalanine reached steady state in the body. By measuring the kinetic parameters of labeled amino acids in the samples, a nonlinear mixed-effects model was constructed for the protein intake to be tested and the oxidation rate of labeled amino acids. The mean protein requirement of the study population was determined by the protein intake corresponding to the inflection point of the curve.

RESULTS

Based on the production rate of ~(13)CO_2 in exhaled breath of four elderly people at different protein levels, the mean protein requirement was 1.05(95%CI 0.51-1.60) g/(kg·d). The protein recommended nutrient intake was 1.31(95%CI 0.64-2.00) g/(kg·d) was estimated by applying the coefficient of variation of the mean protein requirement to derive the recommended nutrient intake.

CONCLUSION

Protein requirements in the elderly have increased over a five-year period and sarcopenia may be the main cause of increased protein requirements.

Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus GG Improves Periodontal Bone Repair via Gut-Blood Axis in Hyperlipidemia

Periodontal bone regeneration remains a clinical challenge, and hyperlipidemia can aggravate alveolar bone resorption. Probiotics have recently been reported to improve bone mass. We aimed to determine the role of Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus GG (LGG) in periodontal bone regeneration improvement within the context of periodontitis with hyperlipidemia. A Sprague Dawley rat model for periodontitis, hyperlipidemia, and periodontal fenestration defect was constructed (n = 36) and administered LGG gavage for 6 wk (the rats were subsequently sacrificed). Fecal microbiota from donor rats 3 wk after LGG gavage was transplanted into recipient rats to evaluate the role of LGG-modulated gut microbiota in periodontal bone regeneration. Regenerated bone mass was detected using micro-computerized tomography and hematoxylin and eosin stain. Gut microbiota was analyzed using 16S ribosomal RNA sequencing. Serum metabolites were detected by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (6 wk after LGG gavage). The pro-osteogenic effects of screened serum metabolite were verified in vitro on bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMMSCs). We found that the bone mineral density, bone volume (BV), trabecular bone volume fraction (BV/TV), and trabecular thickness of the regenerated periodontal bone increased after LGG gavage (P < 0.05) but had little effect on oral flora. After LGG gavage, Staphylococcus, Corynebacterium, and Collinsella in the gut of donors were significantly changed, and these differences were maintained in recipients, who also showed increased trabecular thickness of the regenerated periodontal bone (P < 0.05). These key genera were correlated with BV/TV and BV (P < 0.05). In addition, LGG gavage significantly regulated bone-related blood metabolites, of which selenomethionine promoted BMMSC osteogenesis. Notably, selenomethionine was associated with key gut genera (P < 0.05). Collectively, LGG improved periodontal bone regeneration in the context of periodontitis with hyperlipidemia by modulating gut microbiota and increasing pro-osteogenic metabolites in the blood. These results reveal new insights into the use of probiotics to promote periodontal bone regeneration via the gut-blood-bone axis.

[Quality control of gastric resection range in laparoscopic locally advanced gastric cancer]

After nearly 30 years of exploration and practice, minimally invasive surgical techniques represented by laparoscopic technology have become an important means for the surgical treatment of gastric cancer. In China, laparoscopic radical resection for locally advanced gastric cancer has been extensively carried out. However, there are still controversies regarding the gastric resection range and methods for advanced gastric cancer. By reviewing relevant domestic and foreign guideline documents and combining team practice experience, this article elaborates on the key points of quality control of laparoscopic gastric resection range for locally advanced gastric cancer from aspects such as tumor localization and gastric resection range for upper, middle and lower gastric tumors. It aims to provide reference for carrying out and promoting laparoscopic radical gastrectomy more safely.

[Current status and challenges of immunotherapy for multiple myeloma]

Multiple myeloma (MM) is the second most common hematologic malignancy and the incidence of MM in mainland China in 2016 was 1.15/100 000.With the development of China's aging society, the incidence of MM is expected to increase year by year. Immunotherapy for MM has become the fourth pillar of therapy after autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, immunomodulators, and proteasome inhibitors, and is the most active area of MM treatment. Nine new drugs have been approved for multiple myeloma treatment in China, and three are expected to be approved in 2024, which will focus on immunotherapy. There are many ambiguities about the current status of research and utilization in this emerging field in China. Determining the optimal integration of these therapies into the treatment regimen for Chinese MM patients constitutes a critical challenge for clinicians. Immunotherapy for MM primarily encompasses two major categories: antibody-based drug therapy and cellular immunotherapy. Antibody-based medications primarily include monoclonal antibodies, T-cell engagers, IgG-like bispecific antibodies, and trispecific antibodies. Cellular immunotherapy mainly consists of chimeric antigen receptor T (CAR-T) cells, as well as other immune cells such as chimeric antigen receptor natural killer (CAR-NK) cells, dendritic cells, T cell receptor-engineered T cells, and peptide vaccines.This article mainly focuses on the current research status and existing issues of the aforementioned immunotherapy methods, with the aim of providing references for the treatment of MM.

[Efficacy and safety of first-line treatment with anti-CD38 monoclonal antibody-based regimen for primary plasma cell leukemia]

Objective: To analyze the efficacy and safety of first-line treatment with an anti-CD38 monoclonal antibody regimen for primary plasma cell leukemia (pPCL). Methods: Patients diagnosed with pPCL from December 1st, 2018 to July 26th, 2023, receiving first-line treatment of anti-CD38 monoclonal antibody-based regimens across multiple centers including Peking University People's Hospital, Fuxing Hospital of Capital Medical University, Qingdao Municipal Hospital, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Handan Central Hospital, the First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, the Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University and General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University were consecutively included. A total of 24 pPCL patients were included with thirteen being male and eleven being female. The median age [M(Q1, Q3)] was 60 (57, 70) years. Patients were grouped according to peripheral blood plasma cell (PBPC) percentage [5%-19% (n=14) vs ≥20% (n=10)]. Last follow-up date was September 26th, 2023. The median follow-up period was 9.1 (4.2, 15.5) months. Patients' data related with clinical baseline characteristics, efficacy, survival and safety were retrospectively collected. Cox proportional hazards regression model was used to analyze risk factors associated with survival. Results: Among 24 pPCL patients, 16 (66.7%) patients had anemia at diagnosis, 13(54.2%) patients had thrombocytopenia, 8 (33.3%) patients had a baseline estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR)<40 ml·min-1·(1.73m2)-1, 13 (54.2%) patients had elevated lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) levels. The median PBPC percentage was 16% (8%, 26%) . Fluorescence in situ hybridization testing indicated that patients harboring 17p deletion, t(4;14) or t(14;16) were 6 (25.0%), 4 (16.7%) and 4 (16.7%), respectively. The overall response rate was 83.3% (20/24). The median progression-free survival (PFS) was 20.5 (95%CI: 15.8-25.2) months, and the median overall survival (OS) was not reached. Estimated 1-year and 2-year PFS and OS rates were 75.0% and 89.1%, 37.5% and 53.4%, respectively. The median PFS and OS for patients with PBPC percentages 5%-19% and≥20% were not reached and 20.5 (95%CI:15.7-25.3) months, 17.8 months and not reached, respectively. There was no significant statistical difference of PFS and OS between two groups (all P>0.05). Multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that 1p32 deletion was the risk factor associated with PFS (HR=7.7, 95%CI: 1.1-54.9, P=0.043). Seventeen patients (70.8%) developed grade 3-4 hematologic toxicities. Twelve patients (50.0%) developed grade 3-4 thrombocytopenia. Sixteen patients (66.7%) developed infection. All hematologic toxicities and infections were improved after supportive treatment. Conclusion: First-line treatment with anti-CD38 monoclonal antibody-based therapy for pPCL is effective and safe.

[The detecting value of virtual non-calcium technique of dual-energy CT for bone marrow edema around nontraumatic osteonecrosis of the femoral head]

Objective: To evaluate the value of virtual non-calcium (VNCa) technique of dual-energy CT (DECT) for detecting bone marrow edema (BME) around nontraumatic osteonecrosis of the femoral head (ONFH) using MRI as reference standard. Methods: Nontraumatic ONFH patients were prospectively studied in the Fourth Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital from October 2022 to May 2023, and their MRI and DECT images were analyzed. The diagnostic efficiency of the subjective assessment of BME around ONFH by two radiologists in VNCa color-coded images were calculated using the MRI results as the reference standard. The BME ranges were compared between VNCa images and MRI. Traditional CT values and VNCa CT values were compared between normal bone marrow and BME. The receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curve was established based on the statistically different CT values, and the area under the curve (AUC) was calculated to find the threshold to distinguish normal bone marrow from BME and evaluate the diagnostic efficacy. Results: Thirty patients with ONFH were included, including 24 males and 6 females, aged (39±12) years. There were 18 bilateral hips and 12 unilateral hips, with a total of 48 hips, 34 hips of which showed BME on MRI. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV) and accuracy of subjective detection of BME on VNCa color coded maps by two physicians were 97.1% (33/34) and 97.1% (33/34), 92.9% (13/14) and 71.4% (10/14), 97.1% (33/34) and 89.2% (33/37), 92.9% (13/14) and 90.9% (10/11), 95.8% (46/48) and 89.6% (43/48), respectively, with no statistical difference (all P>0.05).There was no statistical difference between VNCa color-coded images and MRI in the BME range (P=1.160). The traditional CT values measured by the two radiologists were in good agreement with VNCa CT values, with intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) of 0.948 (95%CI: 0.908-0.971) and 0.982 (95%CI: 0.969-0.990), respectively. The traditional CT value of normal bone marrow was (400.7±82.8) HU, and that of BME was (443.7±65.7) HU, with no statistical difference (P=0.062). The VNCa CT value of normal bone marrow was (-103.1±27.8) HU, and that of BME was (-32.9±25.7) HU, with statistical difference (P<0.001). The AUC of distinguishing normal bone marrow from BME based on VNCa CT value was 0.958 (95%CI: 0.857-0.995). The best cut-off value was -74.5 HU, and when the VNCa CT value was higher than -74.5 HU, the sensitivity, specificity, PPV, NPV and accuracy of diagnosing BME were 97.1%, 92.9%, 97.1%, 92.9% and 95.8 %, respectively. Conclusion: The VNCa technique of DECT has high efficiency in detecting BME around ONFH, and can accurately demonstrate the range of BME.

Association and dose-response relationship of plasma magnesium with metabolic syndrome in Chinese adults older than 45 years

Purpose

Magnesium (Mg) is an essential nutrient for the maintenance of vital physiological functions. Magnesium deficiency is associated with diseases such as obesity, type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), and metabolic syndrome (MetS); however, conclusions have been inconsistent, and there is a particular lack of evidence regarding this association in Chinese population older than 45 years. This study aimed to assess the association between plasma magnesium and the risk of MetS and its components, the dose-response relationship, and the threshold effect relationship in a Chinese population involving older than 45 years.

Methods

A total of 2,101 individuals were randomly selected from the China Nutrition and Health Surveillance (CNHS) (2015-2017) by considering monitoring points. We used the joint statement of the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) in 2009 to define participants with MetS. The plasma magnesium was tested by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). The logistic regression and restricted cubic spline (RCS) models were used to analyze the association and dose-response relationship between plasma Mg and MetS and its components.

Results

Compared with the lowest quintile (Q1) for plasma Mg, the odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) for MetS, impaired fasting glucose (IFG), hypertension, and triglyceride (TG) elevation at the highest quintile (Q5) were 0.419 (0.301, 0.583), 0.303 (0.221, 0.415), 0.446 (0.322, 0.618), and 0.526 (0.384, 0.720), respectively, with all p < 0.05. However, in the components of decreased high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) and central obesity, no trend toward lowering with higher plasma magnesium was observed (p = 0.717, p = 0.865). These associations were not altered by further adjustment for potential confounding variables, including age, gender, education, nationality, area, residence, body mass index (BMI), and heart rate. The RCS analysis showed that, when plasma magnesium was lower than 0.85 mmol/L, the curve was leveled off, and then, the curve showed a decreasing trend with the increase in plasma magnesium.

Conclusion

Therefore, plasma Mg was negatively associated with MetS and its components (including IFG, hypertension, and elevated TG) in people older than 45 years. In addition, plasma Mg greater than or equal to 0.85 mmol/L, which is higher than the commonly used threshold of 0.75 mmol/L, may be protective against MetS and its components (including elevated FPG, elevated blood pressure, and elevated TG). More prospective studies, such as randomized controlled trials, are necessary to confirm the effective impact of Mg on MetS and its components. Plasma Mg levels in the MetS population older than 45 years require attention.

[Correlation between postoperative microstructural changes in cerebral white matter and early postoperative cognitive function in patients undergoing meningioma resection]

Objective: To analyze the correlation between microstructure changes in cerebral white matter before and after surgery and early postoperative cognitive function in patients undergoing meningioma resection. Methods: A total of 17 patients who underwent their first meningioma resection at Xuanwu Hospital of Capital Medical University from April 2022 to April 2023 were prospectively included as observation group, with 5 males and 12 females, aged (56.4±7.3) years. Another 15 age- and education-matched patients with cerebral benign tumor were recruited as control group during the same period, with 5 males and 10 females, aged (55.2±8.0) years. Neuropsychological tests (NST), mainly including auditory verbal learning test of Huashan version (AVLT-H), the Montreal cognitive assessment-basic (MoCA-B), clock drawing task-30 (CDT-30), shape trails test-B (STT-B) and animal fluence test (AFT), were conducted at 1 day before surgery, 1 day and within 3-4 days after surgery in the observation group. Simultaneously, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans were performed to collect diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) images at 1 day before surgery and within 3-4 days after surgery. The same NST were conducted at 1 day, 3 days and 6 days after admission in the control group to adjust for learning effects from repeated tests. The microstructure changes of the whole brain white matter were evaluated at the group level by using tract-based spatial statistics (TBSS) technology, including changes of fractional anisotropy (FA), mean diffusion (MD), axial diffusion (AD), and radial diffusion (RD). Then, correlation was performed between DTI indicators with statistically significant and cognitive function. Results: After adjusting for the learning effects, the AVLT-H (R), MoCA-B, and CDT-30 scores decreased, and the evaluation time of STT-B prolonged after surgery in patients with meningioma. And their perioperative decreased values were -0.78 (95%CI:-3.28--0.28) points, -2.22 (95%CI:-4.22--0.72) points, -2.74 (95%CI:-5.29--0.19) points, and 61.49 (95%CI: 5.71-117.27) seconds, respectively, with statistically significant differences (all P<0.05). Group level analysis of TBSS based on DTI images showed decreased FA mainly in the right superior cerebellar peduncle, left posterior limb of internal capsule and genu of corpus callosum, and increased RD mainly in the left anterior corona radiata in patients undergoing meningioma resection, with statistically significant differences (all PFWE<0.05). Linear correlation showed that the perioperative decreased values of FA in genu of corpus callosum and right superior cerebellar peduncle were positively correlated with the perioperative decreased values of AVLT-H (L) after adjusting for learning effects (r=0.72, 0.52, all PFWE<0.05). Conclusions: Patients undergoing meningioma resection are at risk of postoperative cognitive decline. Perioperative decreased values of FA in genu of corpus callosum and right superior cerebellar peduncle based on DTI images are positively correlated with the perioperative decreased values of AVLT-H (L) after adjusting for learning effects.

Determining acute ischemic stroke onset time using machine learning and radiomics features of infarct lesions and whole brain

Accurate determination of the onset time in acute ischemic stroke (AIS) patients helps to formulate more beneficial treatment plans and plays a vital role in the recovery of patients. Considering that the whole brain may contain some critical information, we combined the Radiomics features of infarct lesions and whole brain to improve the prediction accuracy. First, the radiomics features of infarct lesions and whole brain were separately calculated using apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC), diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) and fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) sequences of AIS patients with clear onset time. Then, the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (Lasso) was used to select features. Four experimental groups were generated according to combination strategies: Features in infarct lesions (IL), features in whole brain (WB), direct combination of them (IW) and Lasso selection again after direct combination (IWS), which were used to evaluate the predictive performance. The results of ten-fold cross-validation showed that IWS achieved the best AUC of 0.904, which improved by 13.5% compared with IL (0.769), by 18.7% compared with WB (0.717) and 4.2% compared with IW (0.862). In conclusion, combining infarct lesions and whole brain features from multiple sequences can further improve the accuracy of AIS onset time.

[Establishment of a nomogram prediction model using common preoperative indicators for early weight loss after laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy]

Objectives: To construct a nomogram prediction model using common preoperative indicators for early weight loss (EWL) 1 year after laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG). Methods: Relevant data of obese patients who had undergone LSG from January 2015 to May 2022 in Fujian Medical University Union Hospital and Quanzhou First Hospital Affiliated Fujian Medical University were analyzed. Patients with a history of major abdominal surgery, severe gastroesophageal reflux disease, pregnancy within 1 year after surgery, or who were lost to follow-up were excluded, resulting in a total of 200 patients in the study (190 from Fujian Medical University Union Hospital and 10 from Quanzhou First Hospital Affiliated Fujian Medical University). The participants were 51 men and 149 women of a mean age 29.9±8.2 years and a body mass index (BMI) 38.7±6.5 kg/m2. All patients in this group underwent standardized LSG procedure. Achieving ideal weight (BMI≤25 kg/m2) 1 year after LSG was defined as goal of EWL. Logistic regression analyses were performed to identify factors that independently influenced EWL. These factors were incorporated into the nomogram model. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves (the larger the area under the curve [AUC], the better the predictive ability and accuracy of the model), likelihood ratio test (higher likelihood ratio indicates greater model homogeneity), decision curve analysis (higher net benefit indicates a better model), Akaike information criterion (AIC; smaller AIC indicates a better model), and Bayesian information criterion (BIC; smaller BIC indicates a better model) were used to validate the predictive ability of the column line diagram model. Results: In this study of 200 obese patients who underwent LSG surgery, 136 achieved EWL goal, whereas the remaining 64 did not. The rate of EWL goal achievement of the entire group was 68.0%. Compared with patients who did not achieve EWL goal, those who did had lower BMI, alanine transaminase, aspartate transaminase, triglycerides, and higher cholesterol. Additionally, the proportion of female was higher and the proportions of patients with fatty liver and hypertension lower in those who achieved EWL goal (all P<0.05). Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that preoperative BMI (OR=0.852, 95%CI: 0.796-0.912, P<0.001), alanine transaminase (OR=0.992, 95%CI: 0.985-0.999, P=0.024), presence of fatty liver (OR=0.185, 95%CI: 0.038-0.887, P=0.035) and hypertension (OR=0.374, 95%CI: 0.144-0.969, P=0.043) were independently associated with failure to achieve EWL goal. Cholesterol (OR=1.428, 95%CI: 1.052-1.939, P=0.022) was independently associated with achieving EWL goal. We used the above variables to establish an EWL nomogram model. ROC analysis, the likelihood ratio test, decision curve analysis, and AIC all revealed that the predictive value of the model was better than that of BMI alone (nomogram model vs. BMI: area under the curve 0.840 vs. 0.798, P=0.047; likelihood ratio: 58.785 vs. 36.565, AIC: 193.066 vs. 207.063, BIC: 212.856 vs. 213.660). Conclusion: Our predictive model is more accurate in predicting EWL after LSG compared with using BMI.

[Efficacy and safety analysis of a combination regimen with BCL-2 inhibitor in relapsed/refractory primary systemic light chain amyloidosis with t(11;14) from a single center]

Objective: To explore the efficacy and safety of BCL-2 inhibitor-based treatment in patients with relapsed/refractory t (11; 14) primary systemic light chain amyloidosis. Methods: This was a retrospective case series study. Ten patients with relapsed/refractory t(11;14) primary systemic light chain amyloidosis who had all received treatment with a combination regimen including the BCL-2 inhibitor venetoclax from January 2018 to November 2022 at the Hematology Department of Peking University People's Hospital were included. Adverse events, and hematological and organ responses were evaluated. Results: The median age of the ten enrolled patients was 59 (range 41-78) years, and the male to female ratio was 8∶2. Except for one patient, a very good partial or better response was achieved in 8/9 patients and one patient obtained a partial response. The overall response rate was 100%. The median time to achieve a hematological response was 60 (range 24-236) days. At least one organ response was observed in 7/9 patients. With a median follow-up of 18 months, one patient experienced hematological progression and one patient died. Grade 3 adverse events included lymphocytopenia (3 cases), anemia (1 case), diarrhea (1 case), and appendicitis (1 case). One patient died of pulmonary fungal infection two months after completion of treatment, which was not excluded as being treatment related. Conclusion: A combination regimen including BCL-2 inhibitors in patients with relapsed/refractory t(11;14) primary systemic light chain amyloidosis is a potentially safe and effective treatment option that warrants further investigation.

Re-exploration of dietary iodine intake in Chinese adult males using a modified iodine balance study

There is still controversy about optimal dietary iodine intake as the Universal Salt Iodization policy enforcement in China. A modified iodine balance study was thus conducted to explore the suitable iodine intake in Chinese adult males using the iodine overflow hypothesis. In this study, thirty-eight apparently healthy males (19·1 (sd 0·6) years) were recruited and provided with designed diets. After the 14-d iodine depletion, daily iodine intake gradually increased in the 30-d iodine supplementation, consisting of six stages and each of 5 d. All foods and excreta (urine, faeces) were collected to examine daily iodine intake, iodine excretion and the changes of iodine increment in relation to those values at stage 1. The dose-response associations of iodine intake increment with excretion increment were fitted by the mixed effects models, as well as with retention increment. Daily iodine intake and excretion were 16·3 and 54·3 μg/d at stage 1, and iodine intake increment increased from 11·2 μg/d at stage 2 to 118·0 μg/d at stage 6, while excretion increment elevated from 21·5 to 95·0 μg/d. A zero iodine balance was dynamically achieved as 48·0 μg/d of iodine intake. The estimated average requirement and recommended nutrient intake were severally 48·0 and 67·2 μg/d, which could be corresponded to a daily iodine intake of 0·74 and 1·04 μg/kg per d. The results of our study indicate that roughly half of current iodine intakes recommendation could be enough in Chinese adult males, which would be beneficial for the revision of dietary reference intakes.

Overcoming Radio-Immunotherapy Treatment Resistance through ILT4 Blockade and Reversal of HFRT Induced CXCL1-CXCR2 Axis Activation and Tumor-Associated Macrophage Immunosuppression

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE(S)

Immunotherapy combined with radiotherapy (iRT) has unlimited potential, but up to 60% of cancer patients do not benefit from it. Enhancing the anti-tumor immune stimulatory effect triggered by radiotherapy is the key to overcome iRT resistance. Immunoglobulin-like transcript (ILT) 4 is a potential immune checkpoint molecule, highly expressed in various tumor cells, but its role in radiotherapy is still unknown. This study confirmed the role and molecular mechanism of ILT4 in suppressing radiotherapy immunosuppressive microenvironment formation and promoting tumor radiotherapy resistance. We propose a new therapeutic strategy that block ILT4 to enhance the efficacy of radiotherapy, and cooperate with radiotherapy to reverse immunotherapy resistance.

MATERIALS/METHODS

Using multiplex immunohistochemistry, we analyzed ILT4 expression, tumor-associated macrophage (TAM) /T cell phenotype and quantity in tumor patient treated with SBRT. Using mice subcutaneous tumor models, Single-cell RNA sequencing and multiplex flowcytometry, we assessed the role of ILT4 inhibition and hyper-fractionated radiotherapy (HFRT) on preventing tumor growth and immune escape. The molecular signaling and cytokines regulated by ILT4 under HFRT were analyzed by transcriptome sequencing and further verified by molecular experiments. By establishing cancer cell/TAM co-culture system in vitro, using CXCL1 protein or CXCR2 inhibitor and macrophage/CD8+ T cell deletion antibody in vivo, we identified the downstream pathway and cytokine of ILT4 to enhancing HFRT -induced TAM immune response.

RESULTS

In the tumor specimens of NSCLC patients treated with SBRT, we found that high ILT4 expression predicted poor progression-free survival and more M2-TAM recruitment. Among the C57BL/6 mice model, ILT4 inhibition in cancer cells reduced HFRT mediated M2-TAMs accumulation, and to sustain activation and proliferation of CD8+ T cells, and eventually suppressed tumor progression. Mechanistically, RT promoted ILT4 expression, which subsequently induced NF-κB pathway activation and CXCL1 secretion to enhance M2-TAMs migration in vitro. Using CXCL1 protein or CXCR2 inhibitor administration, inferring that ILT4 promotes TAMs migration via NF-κB-CXCL1-CXCR2 axis. Consistently, depletion of TAMs blocked the T cell function impairment and radiotherapy resistance induced by ILT4 in vivo. Importantly, targeting ILT4 potentiated the effect of radiotherapy, overcomes radio-immunotherapy treatment resistance.

CONCLUSION

ILT4 mediates HFRT-induced M2-like TAMs recruitment and subsequently T cell response impairment by regulating NF-κB-CXCL1-CXCR2 axis. ILT4 is an attractive drug target for enhancing radiotherapy and overcomes radio-immunotherapy treatment resistance.

RUNX1 as a Potential Target for Combined Radioimmunotherapy of Lung Adenocarcinoma

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE(S)

Radioimmunotherapy for non-small cell lung cancer has good clinical application prospects. The role and mechanism of RUNX1 in DNA damage repair were explored for its potential role in lung adenocarcinoma radioimmunotherapy.

MATERIALS/METHODS

To study the effect of RUNX1 expression level on the expression of DNA damage repair system related factors and radiation sensitivity of lung adenocarcinoma cells. As an important nuclear transcription factor, RUNX1 was explored whether directly regulating the expression of Nrf2, Rad51, BRCA1, and verifying their respective DNA binding sites in the promoter region through relevant databases. To observe the effect of RUNX1 knockout and overexpression on the expression level of PD-L1 in tumor cells at the cell level; The effect of RUNX1 expression level on the sorting and presentation of PD-L1 cells was investigated by the method of nucleocytoplasmic separation. According to literature reports, CMTM6 and ALIX play a key role in the process of PD-L1 cell sorting and presentation, and explore whether RUNX1 plays a role through this factor. The effect of phosphorylation level of different splicing bodies of RUNX1 (RUNX1a/b/c) on the expression level and DNA damage repair system related factors on tumor radiosensitivity were also explored.

RESULTS

According to TCGA database, RUNX1 is highly expressed and phosphorylated in lung adenocarcinoma. Through gene comparison with the database, it was found that RUNX1 binding sites existed in the promoter region of several factors related to this study, including ALIX, Nrf2, BRCA1, RAD51, ATM, H2AX, etc. After being activated by MAPKp38 phosphorylation, RUNX1a can positively regulate Nrf2 signal pathway. The expression of RUNX1 and p-RUNX1 is time-dependent on ionizing radiation. At the same time, it was found that the expression of RUNX1 and p-RUNX1 was dose-dependent on ionizing radiation, and the expression trend of Nrf2 signal pathway related factors was consistent with RUNX1. RUNX1 regulates the expression of PD-L1, BRCA1, ALIX and Nrf2. Bioinformatics analysis and flow cytometry data show that RUNX1 has inhibitory effect on tumor microenvironment of lung adenocarcinoma.

CONCLUSION

RUNX1 regulates DNA damage repair system and has inhibitory effect on tumor immunity. Inhibiting the expression of RUNX1 in lung adenocarcinoma cells can enhance the effect of radioimmunotherapy.

IKBKE Promotes Radioresistance of Glioblastoma through AKT/FOXO3a Pathway

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE(S)

Glioblastoma is an intracranial highly malignant primary tumor, and postoperative radiotherapy is a common treatment of glioblastoma. While radiotherapy resistance of glioblastoma is an important reason for treatment failure. IKBKE is overexpressed in gliomas, but its role in radiotherapy is unknown. This study confirmed that IKBKE can directly phosphorylate AKT protein to regulate FOXO3a, thus promoting the radioresistance of glioblastoma, and proposed a new therapeutic strategy to enhance the efficacy of radiotherapy.

MATERIALS/METHODS

We used flow cytometry, tunel staining, plate cloning, a cell counting kit and WB to confirm the effects of IKBKE and FOXO3a on radioresistance of glioblastoma, and immunofluorescence and WB were used to detect the expression of γ-H2AX. Subcutaneous tumor formation in mice and immunohistochemical staining was performed. IP combined with mass spectrometry, immunofluorescence, endogenous and exogenous IP were used to confirm the interaction between IKBKE and AKT. Point mutation, IP and WB were used to confirm the phosphorylation site of AKT. IP and some small molecule inhibitors were used to confirm the relationship between IKBKE, AKT and PI3K. The effect of IKBKE on FOXO3a was confirmed by WB and qPCR. The protein relationship among IKBKE, FOXO3a and 14-3-3 was confirmed by CHX, MG132, ubiquitin test, immunofluorescence and IP. The above experiments were carried out to verify the effect of Amlexanox, an IKBKE inhibitor, on glioblastoma. And its pharmacokinetics in the brain was determined by LC-MS to provide a theoretical basis for further clinical use.

RESULTS

It was found that IKBKE could increase the radioresistance of glioblastoma in vitro and in vivo. IKBKE could directly phosphorylate AKT, and its phosphorylation sites were Ser473 and Thr308. We also certified that IKBKE activated AKT independent of PI3K. IKBKE inhibited the expression of FOXO3a on protein level, promoted its ubiquitin degradation, enhanced its interaction with 14-3-3, and inhibited its transportation into the nucleus. FOXO3a can increase the radiosensitivity of glioblastoma. Amlexanox, an IKBKE inhibitor, can inhibit the radiosensitivity of glioblastoma and partially pass through the blood-brain barrier to enhance the radiosensitivity of intracranial tumors.

CONCLUSION

IKBKE can activate AKT independent of PI3K by directly phosphorylating AKT Ser473 and Thr308, thus increasing the phosphorylation of FOXO3a. Phosphorylated FOXO3a promoted its ubiquitin degradation, and inhibited its transportation into the nucleus, causing radioresistance in glioblastoma. IKBKE inhibitor Amlexanox can pass through the blood-brain barrier and increase the radiosensitivity of intracranial tumor cells.

Effects of energy restriction during growing phase on the productive performance of Hyline Brown laying hens aged 6 to 72 wk

The aim of this study was to assess the effects of energy-restricted feeding during growing phase on the productive performance of Hyline Brown laying hens aged 6 to 72 wk. A total of 720 six-week-old layer chicks were allocated equally to 3 groups with 6 replicates of 40 pullets each, and were fed 1 of 3 diets that were nutritionally similar except for the apparent metabolizable energy corrected for nitrogen (AMEn) content. At the age of 6 to 17 wk, the pullets in the control group were given diet with 2,850 kcal/kg AMEn, and were fed ad libitum. The levels of AMEn in diet of pullets in the experimental groups were 90% (2,565 [2,850 × 90%] kcal/kg) and 80% (2,280 [2,850 × 80%] kcal/kg) of that in control group, and the daily amount of feed was restricted to the absolute quantity of the diet consumed by pullets in control group. At the age of 18 to 72 wk, all the hens were fed with the same diets ad libitum. As energy restriction increased in the growing phase, body weight (BW) dropped at the ages of 12 and 15 to 23 wk (at 23 wk: P = 0.001; at other ages: P < 0.001), but it showed no significant difference at 24 wk (P = 0.071). At 20 wk, restricting energy induced a delay in the development of sexual organs, including the ovary stroma, oviduct, and small yellow follicle (P < 0.05), as well as a delay in sexual maturity (P < 0.05). Consequently, the laying rate in the first and second periods dropped linearly (P = 0.046, 0.030, and 0.038, P < 0.001, respectively). The coefficient of variation (CV) in the BW at 19, 20, and 21 wk (P = 0.040, 0.023, and 0.042, respectively), the CV of age at first egg (P < 0.001), and CV of individual egg number at age 18 to 72 wk (P < 0.001) decreased linearly. There was a linear increase in the laying rate of hens in the later periods (at age 32-72 wk, P < 0.05), as well as in the average total egg number per hen and average laying rate at the age of 18 to 72 wk (P = 0.006). The average egg mass also showed a linear increase with increasing levels of energy restriction (P < 0.001). In summary, although appropriate energy restriction during growing phase delayed sexual maturity and sexual organ development in early-laying Hyline Brown pullets, it improved uniformity of BW, age at first egg laying, and individual egg number, and increased egg number per hen, laying rate, average egg mass, and number of settable eggs from 18 to 72 wk of age.

[Protein efficiency ratio of genetically modified pork powder with fat-1 gene]

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the protein efficiency ratio(PER) of genetically modified pork powder with fat-1 gene(GM group), and thus evaluate whether the nutritional evaluation value of fat-1 gene pork powder has changed.

METHODS

Sixty weaned SD rats(60-80 g) were randomly divided into casein group, parental control group and GM group according to sex and weight, 20 rats in each group, half of each sex. The rats in the three groups were fed with corresponding formulated feed containing 10% protein for 28 days. The body weight and food intake of each group were recorded weekly. Blood was collected at the end of the experiment to determine hematology and blood biochemical indexes. The food utilization rate, organ/body weigh indexes, PER and corrected PER were calculated.

RESULTS

The weight of rats in all groups increased steadily during the experimental period. Statistically significant differences were found in some hematology and blood biochemical indexes and organ/body weigh indexes. No biologically significant changes were found. The food utilization rate of GM group was higher than that of casein group(P<0.05), which was equivalent to that in the parental control group. The PER of both genetically modified pork powder with fat-1 gene and parental white pork powder were higher than that of casein(P<0.05).

CONCLUSION

The PER of genetically modified pork powder with fat-1 gene was equal to that of its parental white pork powder.

Early strategy vs. late initiation of renal replacement therapy in adult patients with acute kidney injury: an updated systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

OBJECTIVE

The optimal time to start renal replacement therapy (RRT) for acute kidney injury (AKI) remains controversial. We aim to compare the effects of early vs. delayed RRT initiation on clinical outcomes in adult patients with AKI.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, Chinese Biomedical Literature Database, ClinicalTrials.gov, and the International Clinical Trial registry platform were systematically searched from inception to 7 August 2022. The review included randomized clinical trials (RCTs) comparing early and delayed initiation of RRT in AKI patients. The selected primary outcomes were short-term and long-term mortality. Secondary outcomes included RRT dependency, intensive care unit (ICU) length of stay, hospital length of stay, mechanical ventilator-free days, vasoactive agents-free days, RRT-free days, and adverse events.

RESULTS

Overall, 15 RCTs, including 5,625 patients, were analyzed. Early RRT showed no survival benefit when compared to the delayed therapy (28-or 30-day mortality: RR, 1.01, 95% CI: 0.94-1.08, p = 0.87; 60-day mortality: RR, 0.87, 95% CI: 0.71-1.06, p = 0.16; 90-day mortality: RR, 1.00, 95% CI: 0.88-1.13, p = 0.97; in-hospital mortality: RR, 1.05, 95% CI: 0.88-1.24, p = 0.58; ICU mortality: RR, 1.00, 95% CI: 0.91-1.10, p = 0.98). The delayed RRT did not lead to a higher risk of RRT dependency, ICU, or hospital length of stay than the early RRT. Similarly, early initiation of RRT did not lead to longer ventilator-free, vasoactive agent-free, and RRT-free days. However, early RRT initiation was associated with more adverse events.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study suggested that early RRT initiation was not associated with survival benefits or better clinical outcomes and increased the risk of RRT-associated adverse events. Current evidence does not support the use of early RRT for AKI patients without urgent indications.

Tubular Structure Segmentation via Multi-Scale Reverse Attention Sparse Convolution

Cerebrovascular and airway structures are tubular structures used for transporting blood and gases, respectively, providing essential support for the normal activities of the human body. Accurately segmenting these tubular structures is the basis of morphology research and pathological detection. Nevertheless, accurately segmenting these structures from images presents great challenges due to their complex morphological and topological characteristics. To address this challenge, this paper proposes a framework UARAI based on the U-Net multi-scale reverse attention network and sparse convolution network. The framework utilizes a multi-scale structure to effectively extract the global and deep detail features of vessels and airways. Further, it enhances the extraction ability of fine-edged features by a joint reverse attention module. In addition, the sparse convolution structure is introduced to improve the features' expression ability without increasing the model's complexity. Finally, the proposed training sample cropping strategy reduces the influence of block boundaries on the accuracy of tubular structure segmentation. The experimental findings demonstrate that the UARAI-based metrics, namely Dice and IoU, achieve impressive scores of 90.31% and 82.33% for cerebrovascular segmentation and 93.34% and 87.51% for airway segmentation, respectively. Compared to commonly employed segmentation techniques, the proposed method exhibits remarkable accuracy and robustness in delineating tubular structures such as cerebrovascular and airway structures. These results hold significant promise in facilitating medical image analysis and clinical diagnosis, offering invaluable support to healthcare professionals.

HyperTDP-Net: a hyper-densely connected compression-and-decomposition network based on trident dilated perception for PET and MRI image fusion

Conventional methods based on deep learning for medical image fusion usually only connect source images by convolution operations of separate paths to extract local features, without considering their global features, which often leads to the problem of unclear detail information in the final fusion images. Toward this end, we propose a novel end-to-end fusion model for PET and MRI images to achieve information interaction between different pathways, termed as Hyper-densely connected compression-and-decomposition Network based on Trident Dilated Perception for PET and MRI Image Fusion (HyperTDP-Net). In particular, in the compression network, a dual residual hyper densely module is constructed to take full advantage of middle layer information. Moreover, we establish the trident dilated perception module to precisely determine the location information of features, and improve the feature representation capability of the network. In addition, we abandon the ordinary mean square error as the content loss function and propose a new content-aware loss consisting of structural similarity loss and gradient loss, so that the fused image not only contains rich texture details but also maintains sufficient structural similarity with the source images. Abundant experiments demonstrate that our HyperTDP-Net obtains significant fusion performance, which exceeds other advanced fusion methods in terms of qualitative visual description and quantitative assessment.

[Epidemiologic characteristics and influencing factors of influenza outbreaks in Guangdong Province, 2015-2022]

Objective: To grasp the epidemiological characteristics of influenza outbreaks in Guangdong Province by analyzing the outbreaks of influenza-like cases reported in Guangdong Province from January 2015 to the end of August 2022. Methods: In response to the outbreak of epidemics in Guangdong Province from 2015 to 2022, information on on-site epidemic control was collected, and epidemiological analysis was conducted to describe the characteristics of the epidemics. The factors that influence the intensity and duration of the outbreak were determined through a logistic regression model. Results: A total of 1 901 influenza outbreaks were reported in Guangdong Province, with an overall incidence of 2.05%. Most outbreak reports occurred from November to January of the following year (50.24%, 955/1 901) and from April to June (29.88%, 568/1 901). A total of 59.23% (1 126/1 901) of the outbreaks were reported in the Pearl River Delta region, and primary and secondary schools were the main places where outbreaks occurred (88.01%, 1 673/1 901). Outbreaks with 10-29 cases were the most common (66.18%, 1 258/1 901), and most outbreaks lasted less than seven days (50.93%,906/1 779). The size of the outbreak was related to the nursery school (aOR=0.38, 95%CI:0.15-0.93), the Pearl River Delta region (aOR=0.60, 95%CI:0.44-0.83), the time interval between the onset of the first case and the time of report (>7 days compared with ≤3 days: aOR=3.01, 95%CI:1.84-4.90), the influenza A(H1N1) (aOR=2.02, 95%CI:1.15-3.55) and the influenza B (Yamagata) (aOR=2.94, 95%CI: 1.50-5.76). The duration of outbreaks was related to school closures (aOR=0.65, 95%CI: 0.47-0.89), the Pearl River Delta region (aOR=0.65, 95%CI: 0.50-0.83) and the time interval between the onset of the first case and the time of report (>7 days compared with ≤3 days: aOR=13.33, 95%CI: 8.80-20.19; 4-7 days compared with ≤3 days: aOR=2.56, 95%CI: 1.81-3.61). Conclusions: An influenza outbreak in Guangdong Province exhibits two peaks, one in the winter and spring seasons and the other in the summer. Primary and secondary schools are high-risk areas, and early reporting of outbreaks is critical for controlling influenza outbreaks in schools. Furthermore, comprehensive measures should be taken to prevent the spread of the epidemic.

A randomized trial of eribulin monotherapy versus eribulin plus anlotinib in patients with locally recurrent or metastatic breast cancer

BACKGROUND

Eribulin mesylate is a novel, nontaxane, microtubule dynamics inhibitor. In this study, we assessed the efficacy and safety of eribulin versus eribulin plus the oral small-molecule tyrosine kinase inhibitor anlotinib in patients with locally recurrent or metastatic breast cancer.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

In this single-center, open-label, phase II clinical study (NCT05206656) conducted in a Chinese hospital, patients with human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-negative, locally recurrent or metastatic breast cancer previously treated with anthracycline- or taxane-based chemotherapy were randomized (1 : 1) to receive eribulin alone or in combination with anlotinib. The primary efficacy endpoint was investigator-assessed progression-free survival (PFS).

RESULTS

From June 2020 to April 2022, a total of 80 patients were randomly assigned to either eribulin monotherapy or eribulin plus anlotinib combination therapy, with 40 patients in each group. The data cut-off was 10 August 2022. The median PFS was 3.5 months [95% confidence interval (CI) 2.8-5.5 months] for eribulin and 5.1 months (95% CI 4.5-6.9 months) for eribulin plus anlotinib (hazard ratio = 0.56, 95% CI 0.32-0.98; P = 0.04). The objective response rates were 32.5% versus 52.5% (P = 0.07), respectively, and disease control rates were 67.5% versus 92.5% (P = 0.01), respectively. Patients <50 years of age, with an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status score of 0, visceral metastasis, number of treatment lines of four or more, hormone receptor negative (triple-negative), and HER2 low expression appeared to benefit more from combined treatment. The most common adverse events in both groups were leukopenia (n = 28, 70.0%, patients in the eribulin monotherapy group versus n = 35, 87.5%, patients in the combination therapy group), aspartate aminotransferase elevations (n = 28, 70.0%, versus n = 35, 87.5%), neutropenia (n = 25, 62.5%, versus n = 31, 77.5%), and alanine aminotransferase elevations (n = 25, 62.5%, versus n = 30, 75.0%).

CONCLUSION

Eribulin plus anlotinib can be considered an alternative treatment option for HER2-negative locally advanced or metastatic breast cancer.

[Efficacy of decitabine combined with low dose chemotherapy on children with acute myeloid leukemia]

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of decitabine combined with low dose chemotherapy (LDC) in the treatment of high-risk, refractory and relapsed pediatric acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Methods: Clinical data of 19 AML children treated with decitabine combined with LDC in the Department of Hematology, Children's Hospital of Soochow University from April 2017 to November 2019 were analyzed retrospectively. The therapeutic response, adverse effects and survival status were analyzed,and the outcomes of patients were followed up. Results: Among 19 AML cases, there were 10 males and 9 females. Five cases were high-risk AML, 7 cases were refractory AML, and 7 cases were relapsed AML. After one course of decitabine+LDC treatment, 15 cases achieved complete remission, 3 cases got partial remission, and only 1 case didn't get remission. All patients received allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation as consolidation therapy. The follow-up time of all cases was 46 (37, 58) months, 14 children had survived. The cumulative three-year overall survival rate was (79±9) %, events free survival rates was (68±11) %, and recurrence free survival rate was (81±10) %. The most common adverse effects related to the induction treatment were cytopenia (19 cases) and infection (16 cases).There were no treatment-related death during the therapy. Conclusion: Decitabine combined with LDC is a safe and effective option for high-risk, refractory and relapsed AML children, which provides an opportunity for HSCT.

Vital pulp therapy for permanent teeth with diagnosis of irreversible pulpitis: biological basis and outcome

Root canal treatment (RCT) has been considered the conventional standard for the management of teeth with carious pulp exposure, particularly in mature teeth presenting with symptoms. Following a better understanding of the histopathology of deep carious lesions, the histology of the cariously exposed pulp and the healing potential of the inflamed pulp, vital pulp therapy (VPT) is increasingly adopted around the world for the management of permanent teeth with clinical signs and symptoms indicative of irreversible pulpitis. Furthermore, VPT became a recognized treatment modality by the European Society of Endodontology (ESE) and the American Association of Endodontists (AAE) by virtue of its high success rates reported in outcome studies using contemporary hydraulic calcium silicate-based cements. However, proper case selection, strict asepsis, capping materials and good coronal seal are mandatory for success. The aim of this paper is to review the biological basis for VPT in symptomatic teeth with carious pulp exposure and to report on the outcome of pulpotomy in teeth with clinical diagnosis of irreversible pulpitis.

Brain Activation Evoked by Motor Imagery in Pediatric Patients with Complete Spinal Cord Injury

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Currently, there is no effective treatment for pediatric patients with complete spinal cord injury. Motor imagery has been proposed as an alternative to physical training for patients who are unable to move voluntarily. Our aim was to reveal the potential mechanism of motor imagery in the rehabilitation of pediatric complete spinal cord injury.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Twenty-six pediatric patients with complete spinal cord injury and 26 age- and sex-matched healthy children as healthy controls were recruited. All participants underwent the motor imagery task-related fMRI scans, and additional motor execution scans were performed only on healthy controls. First, we compared the brain-activation patterns between motor imagery and motor execution in healthy controls. Then, we compared the brain activation of motor imagery between the 2 groups and compared the brain activation of motor imagery in pediatric patients with complete spinal cord injury and that of motor execution in healthy controls.

RESULTS

In healthy controls, compared with motor execution, motor imagery showed increased activation in the left inferior parietal lobule and decreased activation in the left supplementary motor area, paracentral lobule, middle cingulate cortex, and right insula. In addition, our results revealed that the 2 groups both activated the bilateral supplementary motor area, middle cingulate cortex and left inferior parietal lobule, and supramarginal gyrus during motor imagery. Compared with healthy controls, higher activation in the bilateral paracentral lobule, supplementary motor area, putamen, and cerebellar lobules III-V was detected in pediatric complete spinal cord injury during motor imagery, and the activation of these regions was even higher than that of healthy controls during motor execution.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study demonstrated that part of the motor imagery network was functionally preserved in pediatric complete spinal cord injury and could be activated through motor imagery. In addition, higher-level activation in sensorimotor-related regions was also found in pediatric complete spinal cord injury during motor imagery. Our findings may provide a theoretic basis for the application of motor imagery training in pediatric complete spinal cord injury.

Reference Range of Vitamin K Evaluating Indicators in Chinese Childbearing Women

BACKGROUND

Vitamin K is an essential fat-soluble vitamin for the human body and its functions, such as promoting blood coagulation, bone health and preventing atherosclerosis, have attracted increasing attention. However, there is no recognized indicator and corresponding reference range for evaluating vitamin K status of different populations at present. The aim of this study is to establish a reference range for vitamin K evaluating indicators in healthy women of childbearing age in China.

METHODS

The population sample in this study was from the Chinese Adult Chronic Disease and Nutrition Surveillance (CACDNS) 2015-2017. A total of 631 healthy women of childbearing age (18-49 years) were included using a series of strict inclusion and exclusion criteria. The concentrations of VK1, MK-4 and MK-7 in serum were detected by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). The other commonly-reported indicators evaluating vitamin K nutritional status, including undercarboxylated osteocalcin (ucOC), osteocalcin (OC), matrix Gla protein (MGP), desphosphorylated undercaboxylated MGP (dp-ucMGP) and protein induced by vitamin K absence II (PIVKA-II), were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The reference range was obtained by calculating the 2.5% to 97.5% interval of the vitamin K evaluating indicators in the reference population.

RESULTS

The reference ranges of VK1, MK-4 and MK-7 in serum were 0.21-3.07 ng/mL, 0.02-0.24 ng/mL and 0.12-3.54 ng/mL, respectively. The reference ranges of ucOC, %ucOC, dp-ucMGP and PIVKA-II were 1.09-2.51 ng/mL, 5.80-22.78%, 2.69-5.88 ng/mL and 3.98-8.40 ng/mL, respectively. The cut-off values that can be used to evaluate subclinical vitamin K deficiency were as follows: VK1 < 0.21 ng/mL, MK-7 < 0.12 ng/mL, ucOC > 2.51 ng/mL, %ucOC > 22.78%, dp-ucMGP > 5.88 ng/mL and PIVKA-II > 8.40 ng/mL.

CONCLUSION

The reference range of VK1, MK-4, MK-7 and vitamin K-related indicators for healthy women of childbearing age established in this study could be used to assess the nutritional and health status of this population.

Association of Body Iron Metabolism with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus in Chinese Women of Childbearing Age: Results from the China Adult Chronic Disease and Nutrition Surveillance (2015)

High iron stores have been reported to be associated with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). However, evidence for the associations of iron metabolism with T2DM is inconsistent, and whether there is a threshold effect remains controversial. In the present study, we aimed to examine the associations between various iron biomarkers and the risk of T2DM as well as impaired glucose metabolism (IGM) and hyperglycemia in Chinese women of childbearing age. A total of 1145 women were divided into three groups (normal blood glucose metabolism group; IGM group; T2DM group). Biomarkers of iron metabolism (serum ferritin (SF), transferrin, soluble transferrin receptor (sTfR), transferrin saturation, serum iron, total body iron, and sTfR-to-lgferritin index) were measured. After adjusting for various confounding risk factors, SF and sTfR were positively associated with the risk of IGM (fourth vs. first quartile: SF odds ratio (OR) = 1.93 (95% CI 1.17-3.20) and sTfR OR = 3.08 (95% CI 1.84-5.14)) and T2DM (SF OR = 2.39 (95% CI 1.40-4.06) and sTfR OR = 3.84 (95% CI 2.53-5.83)). There was a nonlinear relationship between SF and risk of T2DM and hyperglycemia (p for nonlinearity < 0.01). Our findings suggested that SF and sTfR could be independent predictors of T2DM risk.

Non-linear relationship between dietary vitamin E intake and cognitive performance in older adults

OBJECTIVES

This study aimed to explore the relationship between dietary vitamin E (VE) intake and cognitive function in older adults.

STUDY DESIGN

This was a cross-sectional study.

METHODS

We applied data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey obtained during 2011-2014 that met our requirements. The cognitive ability assessments included the Consortium to Establish a Registry for Alzheimer's Disease Word Learning (CERAD-WL) and Delayed Recall (CERAD-DR) tests, the animal fluency test, the Digit Symbol Substitution Test, and a composite z-score calculated by summing z-scores of individual tests. We used binary logistic regression analysis to explore the relationship between VE intake and cognitive performance. The results are reported using odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals. Our study also included sex-stratified analyses and sensitivity analysis. A restricted cubic splines model was used to evaluate the dose-response relationship between dietary VE intake and cognitive function.

RESULTS

This study found that a higher intake of dietary VE was associated with a lower risk of cognitive impairment in patients. Sensitivity analysis shows stable results. The results of the gender stratification analysis showed that dietary VE intake was negatively related to the risk of cognitive disorder among females. An irregular L-shaped dose-response relationship was observed between dietary VE intake and cognitive impairment risk.

CONCLUSIONS

Dietary VE intake was negatively related to the risk of cognitive disorder in older adults, with a higher VE intake lowering the risk.

[Effect of Mycobacterium tuberculosis protein Rv0309 on intracellular survival of Mycobacterium smegmatis by inhibiting macrophage autophagy via protein STUB1]

Objective: To investigate the molecular regulatory mechanism of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) protein Rv0309 to promote the survival of Mycobacterium smegmatis (Ms) in macrophages. Methods: Using Ms as a model to study Mycobacterium tuberculosis, recombinant Ms transfected with pMV261 and PMV261-RV0309 in the control group and RAW264.7 cells were constructed. The effect of Rv0309 protein on intracellular survival of Ms was investigated by counting colony forming units (CFUs). Mass spectrometry was used to screen proteins interacting with host protein Rv0309, and immunocoprecipitate (Co-IP) was used to verify that host protein STUB1 could interact with host protein Rv0309. STUB1 gene knock-out RAW264.7 cells were infected with Ms, and CFUs were counted to explore the effect of protein Rv0309 on intracellular survival of Ms after STUB1 gene knock-out. STUB1 gene knock-out RAW264.7 cells were infected with Ms, and after obtaining samples, Western blotting assay was performed to explore the effect of protein Rv0309 on autophagy function of macrophages after STUB1 gene knock-out. Statistical analysis was performed using GraphPad Prism 8 software. T-test was selected for analysis in this experiment, with P<0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: Western blotting showed that Rv0309 was expressed in M. smegmatis and secreted extracellularly. The CFUs of the Ms-Rv0309 group was higher than that of Ms-pMV261 group at 24 h after THP-1 macrophage infection, and the difference was statistically significant (P<0.05). The trend of infected RAW264.7 macrophages was the same as that of infected THP-1 macrophages. The Co-IP results showed that the corresponding Flag and HA bands appeared in the results of immunoprecipitation (IP):Flag and IP: HA. The level of CFUs in the experimental group with STUB1 deletion was significantly higher than that in the control group without STUB1 deletion. Compared with Ms-pMV261, the CFUs in the Ms-Rv0309 group was significantly higher than that in the Ms-pMV261 group. The gray scale of LC3Ⅱ bands of Ms-Rv0309 in experimental group was lighter than that of Ms-pMV261 in the control group at the corresponding time point, and the result was most significant at 8 h (LC3Ⅱ/β-actin: 0.76±0.05 vs 0.47±0.07), the difference being statistically significant (P<0.05). After STUB1 genome knock-out, the gray level of LC3Ⅱ bands at the corresponding time was lighter than that without STUB1 genome knock-out. Comparison of the results of Ms-pMV261 and Ms-Rv0309 strains revealed that LC3Ⅱ band gray Rv0309 group was lighter at the corresponding time compared with pMV261 group. Conclusions: MTB protein Rv0309 can be successfully expressed in M. smegmatis and secreted extracellularly, which can inhibit the autophagy process of macrophages. Protein Rv0309 interacts with host protein STUB1 to inhibit macrophage autophagy and promote intracellular survival of Ms.

[Efficacy and safety of dexcitabine combined with HAAG regimen in the treatment of recurrent acute myeloid leukemia]

Objective: To investigate the efficacy and safety of dexithabine (DAC) combined with HAAG regimen [harringtonine (HHT), cytarabine (Ara-C), aclarubicin (Acla) and recombinant human granulocyte colony stimulating factor (G-CSF)] in the treatment of acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Methods: The clinical data of 89 AML patients in People's Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University from January 2019 to January 2021 were retrospectively analyzed. The patients were divided into observation group (n=48) and control group (n=41) according to the treatment plan. The observation group included 25 males and 23 females, aged (44.4±9.3) years old, and was treated with DAC combined with HAAG. The control group included 24 males and 17 females, aged (42.2±10.1) years old, and was treated with DAC regimen. After 3 cycles of treatment, the treatment efficacy of the two groups was judged, including complete remission, partial remission and no remission. The level of serum P-glycoprotein (P-gp) in the two groups was detected by direct immunofluorescence-labeled monoclonal antibody flow cytometry. The enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to detect the level of soluble urokinase-type plasminogen activator receptor (suPAR). Meanwhile, the incidence of adverse reactions such as digestive tract reaction, liver and kidney dysfunction, hemorrhage and infection during treatment were recorded. Results: After 3 cycles of treatment, the observation group had complete remission, partial remission and no remission in 10 cases, 21 cases and 17 cases, respectively, and the control group had 3 cases, 11 cases and 27 cases, respectively. The overall efficacy of the observation group was better than that of the control group (Z=-2.919, P=0.004). The levels of serum P-gp and suPAR in the observation group were (5.2±1.8) % and (464.4±103.4) ng/L, respectively, which were significantly lower than those in the control group [(8.8±1.9) % and (660.6±110.4) ng/L, respectively] (both P<0.05). During the treatment, the incidence of digestive tract reaction, liver and kidney dysfunction, hemorrhage and infection in the observation group was 29.2% (14/48), 22.9% (11/48), 16.7% (8/48) and 33.3% (16/48), respectively, while in the control group was 26.8% (11/41), 21.9% (9/41), 14.6% (6/41) and 24.4% (10/41), respectively, with no statistically significant difference (all P>0.05). Conclusions: The overall efficacy of DAC combined with HAAG in the treatment of AML is better than that of DAC alone. Moreover, the incidence of adverse reactions in DAC combined with HAAG is similar to that of DAC alone, with a high safety profile.

Re-exploring the requirement of dietary iodine intake in Chinese female adults based on 'iodine overflow theory'

PURPOSE

We re-explored the basal iodine requirement based on healthy Chinese female and a new iodine overflow theory was proposed for iodine balance study.

METHODS

Thirty-six Chinese healthy female adults (age 20.7 ± 1.1) were recruited for this study, which included 40 days low iodine depletion period and six stages of 30 days supplementation period. Uniform diets with low iodine were provided and the content of iodine in the diet was regulated by dairy products. The total iodine intake from food and the total iodine excretion through 24-h urine and staged feces were completely gathered and monitored. The incremental (Δ) intake and excretion over the range were calculated.

RESULTS

The iodine intake and excretion were 13.6 μg/day and 48.6 μg/day at the first stage, respectively. The incremental iodine intakes and excretions were 21.1 μg/day to 120.3 μg/day and 25.8 μg/day to 105.4 μg/day for the supplementation stages, respectively. According to the 'iodine overflow theory', the zero iodine balance (Δ iodine intake = Δ iodine excretion) derived from a mixed effect model indicated a mean iodine intake of 52.2 μg/d (1.0 μg/d kg). The RNI for iodine to healthy Chinese female adult was 73.1 μg/d (1.4 μg/d kg).

CONCLUSION

A daily iodine intake of 52.2 μg/d may meet the basal iodine requirement for healthy Chinese female adults, and Chinese female may need more than 20% iodine intake than male based on the 'iodine overflow theory'. The trial was registered at the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry in May 2018 (No: ChiCTR1800016184).

Study on the Zinc Nutritional Status and Risk Factors of Chinese 6–18-Year-Old Children

Zinc is an essential micronutrient that is involved in several metabolic processes, especially children’s growth and development. Although many previous studies have evaluated the zinc nutritional status of children, there are very few reports on children aged 6–18 years old. Furthermore, there are few reports on children’s zinc nutrition status based on the Chinese population. According to WHO data, the prevalence of zinc deficiency in Asian countries is rather high and has resulted in high child mortality. In this study, we aimed to comprehensively assess zinc nutritional status and the prevalence of zinc deficiency among children aged 6–18 years in China based on nationally representative cross-sectional data. Subgroup comparisons were made under possible influencing factors. The potential risk factors of zinc deficiency were also discussed. A total of 64,850 children, equally male and female, were recruited from 150 monitoring sites in 31 provinces through stratified random sampling from China National Nutrition and Health Survey of Children and Lactating Mothers (CNNHS 2016–2017). Median and interquartile intervals were used to represent the overall zinc concentration levels and different subgroups. A Chi-square test was used to compare serum zinc levels and the prevalence of zinc deficiency in children under different group variables. In order to study the influencing factors of zinc deficiency, multiple logistic regression was utilized. It was found that the median concentration of serum Zn was 88.39 μg/dL and the prevalence of Zn deficiency was 9.62%. The possible influence factors for Zn deficiency were sex, anemia, nutritional status, city type and income. By conducting a subgroup analysis of the factors, it was found that males; those with anemia, stunting and low income; and children living in rural areas have a higher risk of Zn deficiency. This study offers a comprehensive analysis of Zn nutritional status among Chinese children, which provides reliable data for policy formulation to improve the zinc nutrition status of children.

[Intravesical instillation of bacillus Calmette-Guerin for non-muscle invasive bladder cancer: outcomes of 421 patients in a single center]

OBJECTIVE

To assess the therapeutic effect and adverse effect of intravesical instillation of bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) for treatment of non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) and analyze the independent predictors of patient survival.

METHODS

We retrospectively collected the clinical data from 421 patients (mean age 61.79±11.51 years) with NMIBC, who received intravesical instillation of BCG after surgery in Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center from September, 2015 to September, 2021. Recurrence-free survival (RFS), progression-free survival (PFS), and disease specific survival (DSS) of the patients were analyzed, and the adverse effects were assessed using Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events 5.0. Kaplan-Meier analysis, univariate and multivariate COX regression analyses were used to identify the independent predictors of the patients' survival outcomes.

RESULTS

The median follow-up of the patients was 17 months, during which 88 (20.9%) patients experienced recurrence (median time to recurrence of 10 months, range 3-58 months); 40 (9.5%) patients showed tumor progression (median time to progression of 18 months, range 3-50 months); and 14 (3.3%) patients died (median survival time of 30 months, range 8-52 months). Adverse events of grade 1, 2, and 3 occurred in 69, 110, and 23 of the patients, respectively. Survival analysis indicated that an age below 67.5 years (P=0.013), first tumor onset (P < 0.001), solitary tumor (P= 0.010), time to recurrence over one year (P=0.042), low levels of neutrophils (P=0.005), monocytes (P=0.005) and neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (NLR; P=0.014), and cytokeratin 19 fragment 21-1 (CyFra21-1; P=0.002) were all associated with a higher PFS rate. Multivariate COX analysis suggested that the time of tumor recurrence (P=0.007, HR=2.669, 95% CI: 1.316-5.414), monocyte counts (P=0.015, HR=0.376, 95% CI: 0.171-0.829), and serum CyFra21-1 level (P=0.002, HR=0.312, 95% CI: 0.151-0.647) were independent predictors of RFS; primary tumor or tumor relapse (P=0.003, HR=0.301, 95% CI: 0.138-0.660), neutrophil counts (P=0.028, HR=0.302, 95% CI: 0.103-0.882), and CyFra21-1 level (P=0.029, HR=0.358, 95% CI: 0.142-0.903) were independent predictors of PFS following BCG instillation.

CONCLUSION

Intravesical instillation of BCG is effective for treatment of intermediate or high-risk NMIBC, and the adverse effects are tolerable in most cases. The time of tumor recurrence, monocyte counts, and serum CyFra21-1 level are independent predictors of RFS, and primary tumor or tumor relapse, neutrophil counts, and CyFra21-1 level are independent predictors of PFS.

A266 DIET-BASED THERAPIES FOR INTESTINAL DYSFUNCTION INDUCED BY CLOSTRIDIOIDES DIFFICILE INFECTION

Background

Chronic gut dysfunction occurs in up to 25% of patients following antibiotic-treated C. difficile infection (CDI). We developed a humanized mouse model in which germ free mice colonized with microbiota from patients with severe constipation post-CDI developed slow colonic transit, as a result of damage to the Interstitial Cells of Cajal (ICC) network by pro-inflammatory macrophages. Colonic transit, immune activation and the ICC network normalized after fecal microbiota transplantation using samples from healthy mice, as well after treatment with psyllium fiber. Here we explored the long-term effects of psyllium and evaluated the therapeutic potential of pectin and quercetin in this model.

Purpose

1) To investigate the time course of the beneficial effect of psyllium on colonic motility.

2) To explore possible therapeutic properties of flavonoids and pectin.

Method

Germ-free mice were colonized with microbiota from the post-CDI (PCDI) patient or healthy controls (HC). After 3 weeks, the mice were fed for 4-5 weeks with a control diet or diets with 15% psyllium (PSY), 10% pectin (PCT) or 0.05% quercetin (QCT). To evaluate time course of PSY on motility, control diet was administered for 3-weeks following PSY treatment. The bead expulsion test was used to assess colonic motility. Stool samples were collected for microbial profiling, and short and branched-chain fatty acids (SCFA/BCFA) analysis. Macrophages morphology and counts, and ICC network structure were evaluated by immunohistochemistry.

Result(s)

Compared to HC microbiota, colonization with post-CDI microbiota induced slow colonic transit in recipient mice, and this was normalized by PSY (n=13; p=0.02). The benefit of PSY was transient as colonic transit slowed following discontinuation of PSY (p=0.001). The changes in colonic transit were paralleled by switch in macrophages phenotype and damage to the ICC network. Additionally, discontinuation of PSY resulted in a return of microbial diversity (p< 0.001), SCFA/BCFA levels (acetic and propionic acid/ iso-butyric and valeric acid) and specific bacterial species abundances, to values seen in untreated mice colonized with post-CDI microbiota. Microbial analysis predicted potential pathways involved in macrophage polarization, including the synthesis of SCFA/BCFA, degradation of inositol and production of acetylglucosamine.

PCT also normalized slow intestinal transit in mice colonized with post-CDI microbiota (p=0.003), restored phenotype of infiltrating macrophages, and improved the structural integrity of the ICC network. In contrast, QCT failed to improve gut dysfunction in PCDI mice.

Conclusion(s)

Our results suggest that the beneficial effects of psyllium in this model are transient. Dietary pectin, but not quercetin, may also serve as a novel treatment strategy to restore colonic motility and immune homeostasis in humans with severe constipation post-CDI.

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W. Garfield Weston Foundation

Disclosure of Interest

None Declared