Retraction Note: Correlation between GDF15, MMP7 and gastric cancer and its prognosis.

The article "Correlation between GDF15, MMP7 and gastric cancer and its prognosis", by L. Lu, G.-Q. Ma, X.-D. Liu, R.-R. Sun, Q. Wang, M. Liu, P.-Y. Zhang, published in Eur Rev Med Pharmacol Sci 2017; 21 (3): 535-541-PMID: 28239815 has been retracted by the Editor in Chief. Following some concerns raised on PubPeer (link: https://pubpeer.com/publications/C14F62B3ACFEA9BA5AFA33141DAFE0), the Editor in Chief has started an investigation to assess the validity of the results as well as possible figure manipulation. The authors have been informed about the journal's investigation but have remained unresponsive and have not provided the study's raw data. The journal investigation revealed a figure duplication between panels A and B of Figure 6. Consequently, the Editor in Chief mistrusts the results presented and has decided to retract the article. This article has been retracted. The Publisher apologizes for any inconvenience this may cause. https://www.europeanreview.org/article/12162.

Neoadjuvant short-course radiotherapy followed by camrelizumab and chemotherapy in locally advanced rectal cancer (UNION): early outcomes of a multicenter randomized phase III trial.

BACKGROUND: Neoadjuvant short-course radiotherapy (SCRT) followed by CAPOX and camrelizumab (a PD-1 monoclonal antibody) has shown potential clinical activity for locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC) in a phase II trial. This study aimed to further confirm the efficacy and safety of SCRT followed by CAPOX and camrelizumab compared to long-course chemoradiotherapy (LCRT) followed by CAPOX alone as neoadjuvant treatment for LARC. PATIENTS AND METHODS: In this randomized, phase III trial, patients with T3-4/N+ rectal adenocarcinoma were randomly assigned (1:1) to receive SCRT or long-course chemoradiotherapy (LCRT), followed by 2 cycles of camrelizumab and CAPOX or CAPOX alone, respectively. After surgery, each arm underwent either 6 cycles of camrelizumab and CAPOX, followed by up to 17 doses of camrelizumab, or 6 cycles of CAPOX. The primary endpoint was pathological complete response (pCR) rate (ypT0N0) assessed by a blinded independent review committee. Key secondary endpoints tested hierarchically were 3-year event-free survival (EFS) rate and overall survival (OS). RESULTS: Between July 2021 and March 2023, the intention-to-treat population comprised 113 patients in experimental arm and 118 patients in control arm, with surgery performed in 92% and 83.9%, respectively. At data cutoff (July 11, 2023), the pCR rate were 39.8% (95% CI, 30.7 to 49.5) in experimental arm compared to 15.3% (95% CI, 9.3 to 23.0) in control arm (difference, 24.6%; odds ratio, 3.7; 95% CI, 2.0 to 6.9; p < 0.001). In each arm, surgical complication rates were 40.0% and 40.8%, grade ≥ 3 treatment-related adverse events were 29.2% and 27.2%. 3-year EFS rate and OS continue to mature. CONCLUSIONS: In LARC patients, neoadjuvant SCRT followed by camrelizumab plus CAPOX demonstrated a significantly higher pCR rate than LCRT followed by CAPOX, with a well-tolerated safety profile. SCRT followed by camrelizumab and chemotherapy can be recommended as a neoadjuvant treatment modality for these patients.

[Efficacy and safety study of standardized mite allergen specific immunotherapy with no reduction during maintenance in children with respiratory allergic disease].

Objective: To explore the optimal regimen of standardized mite allergen immunotherapy for airway allergic diseases in children, and to observe the clinical efficacy, safety and compliance. Method: Use a retrospective real-world study, clinical data from 156 children aged 5-16 years who received subcutaneous immunotherapy (SCIT) with double mite allergen preparation in the pediatrics department of the Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat sen University from June 2019 to September 2020 were selected for allergic rhinitis (AR) and/or allergic asthma (bronchial asthma, BA), including gender, age, total VAS(visual analogue scale) score and CSMS(combined symptom and medication scores) score at different time points (before treatment, 4-6 months, 1 year, and 2 years after initiation of desensitization), peripheral blood eosinophil counts (EOS), serum total IgE (tIgE), specific IgE (tIgE), and serum IgE (tIgE), specific IgE (sIgE), tIgG4, and incidence of local and systemic adverse reactions. All patients had a consistent regimen during the initial treatment phase (dose-escalation phase), which was performed as directed. Among them, 81 cases (observation group) continued to continue subcutaneous injection of 1 ml of vial No. 3 every 4-6 weeks during the dose maintenance phase, while 75 cases (control group) followed the old traditional regimen during the maintenance phase (i.e., change to a new vial to halve the amount of vial No. 3 by 0.5 ml, and then 0.75 ml after 1-2 weeks, and 1 ml in a further interval of 1-2 weeks). The clinical efficacy, safety and adherence to the treatment were compared between the two groups. Results: A total of 81 cases of 156 children were included in the observation group, of which 58 children with AR, 15 children with BA, and 8 children with AR combined with BA; 75 cases were included in the conventional control group, of which 52 children with AR, 16 children with BA, and 7 children with AR combined with BA. In terms of safety, the difference in the incidence of local and systemic adverse reactions between the two groups was not statistically significant (χ2=1.541 for local adverse reactions in the control group, χ2=0.718 for the observation group; χ2=0.483 for systemic adverse reactions in the control group, χ2=0.179 for the observation group, P value >0.05 for all of these), and there were no grade Ⅱ or higher systemic adverse reactions in any of them. In the control group, there were 15 cases of dropout at 2 years of follow-up, with a dropout rate of 20.0%; in the observation group, there were 7 cases of dropout at 2 years of follow-up, with a dropout rate of 8.6%, and there was a statistically significant difference in the dropout rates of the patients in the two groups (χ2=4.147, P<0.05). Comparison of serological indexes and efficacy (compared with baseline at 3 different time points after treatment, i.e., 4-6 months, 1 year and 2 years after treatment), CSMS scores of the observation group and the conventional control group at 4-6 months, 1 year and 2 years after treatment were significantly decreased compared with the baseline status (t-values of the conventional group were 13.783, 20.086 and 20.384, respectively, all P-values <0.001, and t-values of the observation group were 15.480, 27.087, 28.938, all P-values <0.001), and VAS scores also decreased significantly from baseline status in both groups at 4-6 months, 1 year, and 2 years of treatment (t-values of 14.008, 17.963, and 27.512 in the conventional control group, respectively, with all P-values <0.001, and t-values of 9.436, 13.184, and 22.377 in the observation group, respectively; all P-values <0.001). Intergroup comparisons showed no statistically significant differences in CSMS at baseline status, 4-6 months, 1 year and 2 years (t-values 0.621, 0.473, 1.825, and 0.342, respectively, and P-values 0.536, 0.637, 0.070, and 0.733, respectively), and VAS was no statistically significant difference in comparison between groups at different time points (t-values of 1.663, 0.095, 0.305, 0.951, P-values of 0.099, 0.925, 0.761, 0.343, respectively); suggesting that the treatment regimens of the observation group and the conventional control group were clinically effective, and that the two regimens were comparable in terms of efficacy. The peripheral blood eosinophil counts of the observation group and the conventional control group decreased significantly from the baseline status at 4-6 months, 1 year and 2 years of treatment (t-values of the conventional group were 3.453, 5.469, 6.273, P-values <0.05, and the t-values of the observation group were 2.900, 4.575, 5.988, P-values <0.05, respectively). 4-6 months, 1 year and 2 years compared with the baseline status tIgE showed a trend of increasing and then decreasing (t-value in the conventional group was -5.328, -4.254, -0.690, P-value was 0.000, 0.000, 0.492, respectively, and t-value in the observation group was -6.087, -5.087, -0.324, P-value was 0.000, 0.000, 0.745, respectively). However, the results of intergroup comparisons showed no statistically significant differences in serological indices and efficacy between the two groups in terms of peripheral blood eosinophil counts at baseline status, 4-6 months, 1 year and 2 years (t-values of 0.723, 1.553, 0.766, and 0.234, respectively; P-values of 0.471, 0.122, 0.445, and 0.815, respectively), tIgE (t-values of 0.170, -0.166, -0.449, 0.839, P-values 0.865, 0.868, 0.654, 0.403, respectively), tIgG4 (t-values 1.507, 1.467, -0.337, 0.804, P-values 0.134, 0.145, 0.737, 0.422, respectively). Conclusion: Both immunotherapy regimens for airway allergic diseases with double mite allergen subcutaneous immunotherapy have significant clinical efficacy, low incidence of adverse reactions, and the observation group has better patient compliance than the control group.

[Changes in tumor microbiome and underlying value according to response to neoadjuvan chemotherapy for in patients with gastric cancer].

Objective: To investigate the relationship between efficacy of neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) for gastric cancer and gastric microecology. Methods: This was a retrospective observational study using fresh frozen operative specimens. The specimens had been stored in the tumor sample bank of the Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery of the Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University from January 2017 to January 2023 after having been collected from 31 patients with pathologically diagnosed gastric cancer who had no metastases and had received only neoadjuvant chemotherapy preoperatively. The study patients had all successfully undergone radical gastric cancer surgery. Patients with metastases or other primary tumor foci and/or had received other therapies within 1 month prior to surgery, including immunotherapy, targeted therapies and probiotics, were excluded. The tumors were graded and grouped in accordance with the 8th edition of the American Joint Committee on Cancer staging system and the Tumor Regression Grading System (TRG) of the College of American Pathologists. Those with TRG Grades 0-1, ypT0-1 and ypN0 were classified as responsive (Group R, 12 cases), whereas those with TRG Grades 2-3 and ypT2-4 or ypN+ were classified as non-responsive (Group NR, 19 cases). The fresh frozen samples were processed and analyzed using 16S rRNA sequencing. Alpha and beta diversity analyses were performed using the Q2-diversity plug-in for QIIME2 and STAMP was used to determine the default parameters and differentially enriched bacterial taxa in the two groups. High-dimensional class comparisons were performed by effect size linear discriminant analysis, and potential functional distributions of microbiomes were predicted using PICRUST2 (v2.3.0-b) software. Results: Groups R and NR did not differ significantly in sex, age, body mass index, smoking history, tumor location, cTNM stage before NACT, and neoadjuvant chemotherapy (all P>0.05), whereas tumor size and ypTNM stage after NACT differed significantly between the two groups (both P=0.001). Alpha and beta diversity analysis of the gastric microbiota did not reveal a statistically significant difference in alpha diversity between the two groups (P>0.05), whereas there was a statistically significant difference in beta diversity between the two groups (P=0.004). Four family-level bacterial taxa, namely Coriobacteriaceae, Ruminococcaceae, Veillonellaceae, and Lachnospiraceae, were enriched in the R group, whereas four bacterial taxa dominated by phylum Proteobacteria were enriched in the NR group. Metabolic pathways of various amino acids, including citric acid cycle and alanine, were found to be potentially predictive. Conclusions: There are significant differences in the abundance and composition of gastric microecology in gastric cancer patients with different responses to NACT.

[Effects of Dapagliflozin on contrast-induced acute kidney injury in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus underwent percutaneous coronary intervention].

Objective: To investigate the effect of Dapagliflozin, sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitor (SGLT2i), on contrast-induced acute kidney injury (CIAKI) in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) after percutaneous coronary intervention(PCI). Methods: A cohort study. The clinical data of 366 patients with coronary heart disease combined with T2DM who underwent PCI in the Department of Cardiology, Tianjin University Chest Hospital, from June 2021 to June 2022 were retrospectively analyzed, including 218 males and 148 females, aged (64.6±11.0) years old. According to whether the patients had used Dapagliflozin or not, the selected patients were divided into SGLT2i group(n=124) and control group(n=242). The changes in cardiac indicators, renal function, and inflammatory response indicators before and 72 hours after PCI treatment were analyzed and compared between the two groups. The incidence rate of CIAKI in the two groups was analyzed, and the influencing factors of CIAKI were analyzed by multivariate logistic regression. The major adverse cardiac events (MACE) were recorded during the follow-up period of the two groups, and Kaplan-Meier survival analysis and log-rank test were used to compare the differences in MACE occurrence between the two group. Results: The left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) of the SGLT2i group was lower than that of the control group, and the proportion of patients with LVEF<45% and CIAKI risk score were higher than those of the control group, with statistical significance (all P<0.05). 72 h after PCI treatment, ß-2 Microglobulin(ß-2MG), cystatin-C(Cys-C), and neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) in both groups were all increased compared to those before PCI treatment, with statistical significance (all P<0.05).ß-2MG, Cys-C, and NGAL in SGLT2i group were all lower than those in the control group, with statistical significance(all P<0.05).The levels of interleukin-6(IL-6), hypersensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), and malondialdehyde in both groups of patients increased compared to preoperative levels, while the levels of superoxide dismutase (SOD) decreased compared to preoperative levels, with statistical significance (all P<0.05). The levels of IL-6, hs-CRP, and malondialdehyde in the SGLT2i group were lower than those in the control group, while SOD was higher than that in the control group, with statistical significance (all P<0.05). Among all patients included, 34 cases experienced CIAKI (9.8%), and the incidence of CIAKI in the SGLT2i group was lower than that in the control group [4.8% (6/124) vs 11.6% (28/242),P=0.037]. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that the use of dapagliflozin was a protective factor for CIAKI in T2DM patients receiving PCI treatment (OR=0.321, 95%CI: 0.127-0.816, P=0.017). After a follow-up of 14.0 (12.0, 16.2) months, the incidence of MACE in SGLT2i group was lower than that in the control group (7.3% vs 12.8%, P=0.048). Conclusions: Dapagliflozin may reduce the risk of CIAKI and MACE in T2DM patients after PCI treatment. Its mechanism may be related to the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects of SGLT2i.

[Pristimerin enhances cisplatin-induced apoptosis in nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells via ROS-mediated deactivation of the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the effect of pristimerin combined with cisplatin on proliferation and apoptosis of nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells. METHODS: CCK-8 assay was used to examine the survival rate of HNE-1 and CNE-2Z cells following treatment for 24 h with different concentrations of pristimerin, cisplatin or their combination. The changes in colony formation ability, apoptosis, and intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels of the treated cells were analyzed using colony formation assay and flow cytometry. Western blotting was performed to detect the changes in protein expressions in the cells. The effects of pre-treatment with NAC on proliferation, apoptosis, and PI3K/AKT signaling pathway were observed in pristimerin- and/or cisplatin-treated cells. RESULTS: Both pristimerin and cisplatin significantly lowered the survival rate of HNE-1 and CNE-2Z cells (P < 0.05). Compared with pristimerin or cisplatin alone, their combination more strongly inhibited survival and colony formation ability of the cells, increased cell apoptosis rate and intracellular ROS levels, upregulated the protein expressions of Bax, cleaved caspase-3, and cleaved PARP, and downregulated the protein expressions of Bcl-2, Mcl-1, PARP and p-PI3K and p-AKT (P < 0.05). NAC pretreatment significantly attenuated proliferation inhibition and apoptosis-promoting effects of pristimerin combined with cisplatin, and partially restored the downregulated protein expressions of p-PI3K and p-AKT in HNE-1 and CNE-2Z cells with the combined treatment (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Pristimerin can enhance cisplatin-induced proliferation inhibition and apoptosis in nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells, the mechanism of which may involve ROS-mediated deactivation of the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway.

Fabrication and evaluation of porous coatings doped with bioactive elements on titanium surfaces.

OBJECTIVE: Although pure titanium (PT) and its alloys exhibit excellent mechanical properties, they lack biological activity as implants. The purpose of this study was to improve the biological activity of titanium implants through surface modification. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Titanium was processed into titanium discs, where the titanium discs served as anodes and stainless steel served as cathodes, and a copper- and cobalt-doped porous coating [pure titanium model (PTM)] was prepared on the surface of titanium via plasma electrolytic oxidation. The surface characteristics of the coating were evaluated using field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and profilometry. The corrosion resistance of PTM was evaluated with an electrochemical workstation. The biocompatibility and bioactivity of coated bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) were evaluated through in vitro cell experiments. RESULTS: A copper- and cobalt-doped porous coating was successfully prepared on the surface of titanium, and the doping of copper and cobalt did not change the surface topography of the coating. The porous coating increased the surface roughness of titanium and improved its resistance to corrosion. In addition, the porous coating doped with copper and cobalt promoted the adhesion and spreading of BMSCs. CONCLUSIONS: A porous coating doped with copper and cobalt was prepared on the surface of titanium through plasma electrolytic oxidation. The coating not only improved the roughness and corrosion resistance of titanium but also exhibited good biological activity.

Beneficial Effects of High-Intensity Interval Training and Dietary Changes Intervention on Hepatic Fat Accumulation in HFD-Induced Obese Rats.

Lifestyle intervention encompassing nutrition and physical activity are effective strategies to prevent progressive lipid deposition in the liver. This study aimed to explore the effect of dietary change, and/or high-intensity interval training (HIIT) on hepatic lipid accumulation in high fat diet (HFD)-induced obese rats. We divided lean rats into lean control (LC) or HIIT groups (LH), and obese rats into obese normal chow diet (ND) control (ONC) or HIIT groups (ONH) and obese HFD control (OHC) or HIIT groups (OHH). We found that dietary or HIIT intervention significantly decreased body weight and the risk of dyslipidemia, prevented hepatic lipid accumulation. HIIT significantly improved mitochondrial fatty acid oxidation through upregulating mitochondrial enzyme activities, mitochondrial function and AMPK/PPARalpha/CPT1alpha pathway, as well as inhibiting hepatic de novo lipogenesis in obese HFD rats. These findings indicate that dietary alone or HIIT intervention powerfully improve intrahepatic storage of fat in diet induced obese rats. Keywords: Obesity, Exercise, Diet, Mitochondrial function, Lipid deposition.

[Perioperative management of non-thyroid surgery in patients with thyroid dysfunction].

Thyroid diseases are relatively common in clinical practice. Surgery and use of related drugs may exacerbate the underlying thyroid diseases, increasing the difficulty of perioperative management. However, there is a lack of guidelines and consensus for non-thyroid surgery in patients with thyroid dysfunction. This review mainly summaries the perioperative management of non-thyroid surgery in patients with hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism to provide clinical treatment suggestions and reduce the risk of perioperative complications.

Comprehensive genomic profiling to identify actionable alterations for breast cancer brain metastases in the Chinese population.

BACKGROUND: Breast cancer brain metastasis (BCBM) is a crucial issue in the treatment of breast cancer and is associated with poor prognosis. Therefore, novel therapeutic targets are urgently needed in clinical practice. In this study, we aimed to identify potential actionable targets in brain metastases (BMs) utilising the FoundationOne® CDx (F1CDx). PATIENTS AND METHODS: Formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded archived specimens including 16 primary breast tumours (PTs), 49 BCBMs and 7 extracranial metastases (ECMs) from 54 patients who underwent surgery for BCBM were tested using F1CDx. Tumour-infiltrated lymphocytes (TILs) of BMs were also tested using haematoxylin-eosin staining. RESULTS: The median tumour mutational burden (TMB) and TILs in BMs were 5.0 (range 0-29) mut/Mb and 1.0% (range 0%-5.0%), respectively. High TMB (≥10 mut/Mb) was detected in four cases (8%). Genomic alterations (GAs) were detected in all samples. The top-ranked somatic mutations in BMs were TP53 (82%), PIK3CA (35%), MLL2 (22%), BRCA2 (14%) and ATM (14%) and the most prevalent copy number alterations were ERBB2 (64%), RAD21 (36%), CCND1 (32%), FGF19 (30%) and FGF3 (30%). The most prevalent GAs were relatively consistent between paired PTs and BMs. Actionable GAs were detected in 94% of all BMs. Consistent rate in actionable GAs was 38% (6/16) between paired PTs/ECMs and BMs. Compared to matched PTs/ECMs, additional actionable GAs (BRAF, FGFR1, PTEN, KIT and CCND1) were discovered in 31% (5/16) of the BMs. CONCLUSIONS: TMB and TILs were relatively low in BCBMs. Comparable consistency in actionable GAs was identified between BCBMs and matched PTs/ECMs. It was, therefore, logical to carry out genomic testing for BCBMs to identify potential new therapeutic targets when BCBM specimens were available, as ∼31% of samples carried additional actionable GAs.

Determinants of depressive symptoms at individual, school and province levels: a national survey of 398,520 Chinese children and adolescents.

OBJECTIVES: The aims of this study were to describe the national distribution of depressive symptoms in Chinese children and adolescents, to examine the determinants of depressive symptoms at individual, school and province levels and to assess the gender and age differences in the effect of school factors on depressive symptoms. STUDY DESIGN: This was a national cross-sectional study. METHODS: A school-based online survey was conducted in mainland China from between December 1, 2021, and January 1, 2022. A total of 398,520 eligible participants were included in the analysis. School-level data were drawn from students, headteachers and Baidu Maps, and province-level data were obtained from the national human development report. The Patient Health Questionnaire-2 was used to measure depressive symptoms. RESULTS: Areas with the highest mean scores for depressive symptoms were in the northeastern, inner central and southwestern regions of China. At the individual level, younger age, male sex, being an only child, Han ethnicity, lower body mass index, more days of exercise, less drinking and smoking behaviours, higher subjective family socio-economic status (SES) and popularity in school were related to fewer depressive symptoms; however, objective family SES and maternal education were not related to fewer depressive symptoms. The school-level variables of public status, psychological activities and psychological courses and province-level variable of higher Human Development Index were associated with fewer depressive symptoms. The effect of psychological courses and activities on depressive symptoms was greater in females. CONCLUSIONS: The results showed multilevel factors related to depressive symptoms and emphasised the importance of implementing school-based psychological activities to ameliorate depressive symptoms in Chinese children and adolescents across age and gender.

[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.

[Effectiveness of the central government-funded echinococcosis control programme in Tianzhu Tibetan Autonomous County, Gansu Province from 2007 to 2022].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effectiveness of the central government-funded echinococcosis control programme in Tianzhu Tibetan Autonomous County, Gansu Province from 2007 to 2022, so as to provide insights into echinococcosis control. METHODS: Administrative villages were sampled using a multi-stage cluster random sampling method from Tianzhu Tibetan Autonomous County, Gansu Province from 2007 to 2022, and all residents at ages of 12 years and older in the sampled villages were screened for echinococcosis, and schools were sampled using a cluster sampling method, and all children at ages of 12 years and older in the sampled schools were screened for echinococcosis. Domestic dogs were sampled using a systematic random sampling method, and one domestic dog stool sample was collected from each household. Stray dog stool samples were collected outside the villages, and Echinococcus coproantigens were detected using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in domestic and stray dogs. In addition, echinococcosis was screened in sheep and cattle in designated slaughterhouses in Tianzhu Tibetan Autonomous County. The trends in the prevalence of echinococcosis in humans and livestock and the positive rate of Echinococcus coproantigens in dogs were examined with the Cochran-Armitage trend test. In addition, individuals screened for echinococcosis were randomly sampled from 2007 to 2022 for survey on the awareness of echinococcosis control knowledge. RESULTS: A total of 290 356 person-times were screened for echinococcosis among residents at ages of 12 years and older in Tianzhu Tibetan Autonomous County, Gansu Province from 2007 to 2022, with 1 094 residents detected with cystic echinococcosis, and the detection of echinococcosis appeared a tendency towards a gradual decline over years (χ2 = 358.602, P < 0.001). A total of 32 931 person-times were screened for echinococcosis among children at ages of 12 years and older in Tianzhu Tibetan Autonomous County, Gansu Province from 2007 to 2022, with 296 children detected with echinococcosis, and the detection of echinococcosis appeared a tendency towards a gradual decline over years (χ2 = 267.673, P < 0.001). A total of 33 230 domestic dog stool samples were tested for Echinococcus coproantigens in Tianzhu Tibetan Autonomous County, Gansu Province from 2007 to 2022, with 1 777 Echinococcus coproantigens-positive samples tested, and the positive rate of Echinococcus coproantigens appeared a tendency towards a decline in domestic dogs over years (χ2 = 2 210.428, P < 0.001), while the positive rate of Echinococcus coproantigens showed a tendency towards a rise in domestic animals from 2016 to 2022 (χ2 = 37.745, P < 0.001). The positive rate of Echinococcus coproantigens remained relatively stable in stray dogs in Tianzhu Tibetan Autonomous County, Gansu Province from 2019 to 2022 (χ2 = 0.315, P = 0.575). A total of 10 973 sheep were screened for echinococcosis in Tianzhu Tibetan Autonomous County from 2007 to 2022, with 334 sheep detected with echinococcosis, and the detection of echinococcosis appeared a tendency towards a decline in sheep over years (χ2 = 53.579, P < 0.001); however, there was no significant change in the detection of echinococcosis during the period from 2015 through 2022 (χ2 = 1.520, P = 0.218). A total of 2 400 cattle were screened for echinococcosis in Tianzhu Tibetan Autonomous County from 2017 to 2022, with 231 cattle detected with echinococcosis, and the detection of echinococcosis showed a tendency towards a decline over years (χ2 = 5.579, P < 0.05). The awareness of echinococcosis control knowledge increased from 44.37% in 2007 to 94.00% in 2022 among residents at ages of 12 years and older and from 52.50% in 2007 to 92.50% in 2022 among children at ages of 12 years and older in Tianzhu Tibetan Autonomous County, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: There has been a reduction in the detection of echinococcosis in humans and domestic animals and the positive rate of Echinococcus coproantigens in dogs and a rise in the awareness of the echinococcosis control knowledge following the implementation of the central government-funded echinococcosis control programme in Tianzhu Tibetan Autonomous County, Gansu Province; however, integrated echinococcosis control measures are still required for further control of the prevalence of echinococcosis.

An immunogenomic exome landscape of triple positive primary antiphospholipid patients.

Primary antiphospholipid syndrome is characterized by thrombosis and autoantibodies directed against phospholipids or associated proteins. The genetic etiology of PAPS remains unknown. We enrolled 21 patients with thromboembolic events associated to lupus anticoagulant, anticardiolipin and anti ß2 glycoprotein1 autoantibodies. We performed whole exome sequencing and a systematic variant-based analysis in genes associated with thrombosis, in candidate genes previously associated with APS or inborn errors of immunity. Data were compared to public databases and to a control cohort of 873 non-autoimmune patients. Variants were identified following a state-of-the-art pipeline. Enrichment analysis was performed by comparing with the control cohort. We found an absence of significant HLA bias and genetic heterogeneity in these patients, including when testing combinations of rare variants in genes encoding for proteins involved in thrombosis and of variants in genes linked with inborn errors of immunity. These results provide evidence of genetic heterogeneity in PAPS, even in a homogenous series of triple positive patients. At the individual scale, a combination of variants may participate to the breakdown of B cell tolerance and to the vessel damage.

Intestinal Translocation of Live Porphyromonas gingivalis Drives Insulin Resistance.

Periodontitis has been emphasized as a risk factor of insulin resistance-related systemic diseases. Accumulating evidence has suggested a possible "oral-gut axis" linking oral infection and extraoral diseases, but it remains unclear whether periodontal pathogens can survive the barriers of the digestive tract and how they play their pathogenic roles. The present study established a periodontitis mouse model through oral ligature plus Porphyromonas gingivalis inoculation and demonstrated that periodontitis aggravated diet-induced obesity and insulin resistance, while also causing P. gingivalis enrichment in the intestine. Metabolic labeling strategy validated that P. gingivalis could translocate to the gastrointestinal tract in a viable state. Oral administration of living P. gingivalis elicited insulin resistance, while administration of pasteurized P. gingivalis had no such effect. Combination analysis of metagenome sequencing and nontargeted metabolomics suggested that the tryptophan metabolism pathway, specifically indole and its derivatives, was involved in the pathogenesis of insulin resistance caused by oral administration of living P. gingivalis. Moreover, liquid chromatography-high-resolution mass spectrometry analysis confirmed that the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) ligands, mainly indole acetic acid, tryptamine, and indole-3-aldehyde, were reduced in diet-induced obese mice with periodontitis, leading to inactivation of AhR signaling. Supplementation with Ficz (6-formylindolo (3,2-b) carbazole), an AhR agonist, alleviated periodontitis-associated insulin resistance, in which the restoration of gut barrier function might play an important role. Collectively, these findings reveal that the oral-gut translocation of viable P. gingivalis works as a fuel linking periodontitis and insulin resistance, in which reduction of AhR ligands and inactivation of AhR signaling are involved. This study provides novel insight into the role of the oral-gut axis in the pathogenesis of periodontitis-associated comorbidities.

[A multi-dimensional analysis of pollen broadcasting concerns in Chinese population: a large-scale multi-center cross-sectional survey].

Objective: To investigate the concern about pollen broadcasting in Chinese population from multiple dimensions and to understand the information about allergic rhinitis (AR) in China by analyzing related factors. Methods: From March 1 to September 30, 2022, a large-scale multi-center cross-sectional survey was conducted based on the Questionnaire Star platform in 21 Chinese hospitals. A total of 7 056 subjects from 7 regions in China: Northeast, North, East, Central, South, Southwest, and Northwest China were included. Basic characteristics (including social demographic characteristics and disease characteristics of AR patients), concern about pollen broadcasting, the willingness of pollen-induced AR (PiAR) patients to receive pollen broadcasting, and the treatment satisfaction rate of AR patients were collected. The chi-square test, multivariate linear regression model, and Logistic regression analysis were used to analyze the concern about pollen broadcasting in the Chinese population and related factors from multiple dimensions. Results: Among 7 056 subjects, 23.02% were concerned about pollen broadcasting. Among 3 176 self-reported AR and 1 019 PiAR patients, 25.60% and 39.16% were concerned about pollen broadcasting, respectively, which was higher than that of non-AR or non-PiAR subjects (χ2 value was 21.74 and 175.11, respectively, both P<0.001). Among AR patients, the proportion of spring and autumn allergen-positive patients concerned about pollen broadcasting was higher than that in perennial allergen-positive patients (χ2 value was 20.90 and 19.51, respectively, both P<0.001). The proportion of AR patients with asthma, sinusitis, allergic conjunctivitis, and cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases was higher than those without complications (χ2 value was 50.83, 21.97, 56.78, 7.62, respectively, all P<0.05). The proportion of AR patients in North China who could find pollen broadcasting locally was 31.01%, significantly higher than those in other regions (all P<0.05). Multivariate linear regression model analysis showed that among PiAR patients, those with higher per capita household income and higher AR disease cognition levels had been concerned about pollen broadcasting in the past, and those complicated with allergic conjunctivitis had stronger intention to receive pollen broadcasting (B value was 0.24, 0.13, 0.66, 0.47, respectively, all P<0.05). The higher the disease cognition level of PiAR patients, the stronger their willingness to actively participate in treatment (R2=0.72, P<0.001). Only 18.89% of AR patients felt satisfied with the treatment effect. Logistic regression analysis showed that in AR patients, the treatment satisfaction rate was significantly higher among those concerned about pollen broadcasting compared to those who were not (OR=1.83, P<0.001). Conclusions: Currently, the dissemination of pollen broadcasting in China is hindered by various factors such as disease cognition level. The treatment satisfaction among AR patients remains unsatisfactory.