China Initiative for Multi-Domain Intervention (CHINA-IN-MUDI) to Prevent Cognitive Decline: Study Design and Progress.

BACKGROUND: Alzheimer's disease (AD), the most common type of irreversible dementia, is predicted to affect 152 million people by 2050. Evidence from large-scale preventive randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on modifiable risk variables in Europe has shown that multi-domain lifestyle treatments for older persons at high risk of dementia may be practical and effective. Given the substantial differences between the Chinese and European populations in terms of demographics and living conditions, direct adoption of the European program in China remains unfeasible. Although a RCT has been conducted in China previously, its participants were mainly from rural areas in northern China and, thus, are not representative of the entire nation.There is an urgent need to establish cohorts that represent different economic, cultural, and geographical situations in order to explore implementation strategies and evaluate the effects of early multi-domain interventions more comprehensively and accurately. MEDTODS: We developed an integrated intervention procedure implemented in urban neighborhood settings, namely China Initiative for Multi-Domain Intervention (CHINA-IN-MUDI). CHINA-IN-MUDI is a 2-year multicenter open-label cluster-randomised controlled trial centered around a Chinese-style multi-domain intervention to prevent cognitive decline. Participants aged 60-80 years were recruited from a nationally representative study, i.e. China Healthy Aging and Dementia Study cohort. An external harmonization process was carried out to preserve the original FINGER design. Subsequently, we standardized a series of Chinese-style intervention programs to align with cultural and socioeconomic status. Additionally, we expanded the secondary outcome list to include genomic and proteomic analyses. To enhance adherence and facilitate implementation, we leveraged an e-health application. RESULTS: Screening commenced in July 2022. Currently, 1,965 participants have been randomized into lifestyle intervention (n = 772) and control groups (n = 1,193). Both the intervention and control groups exhibited similar baseline characteristics. Several lifestyle and vascular risk factors were present, indicating a potential window of opportunity for intervention. The intervention will be completed by 2025. CONCLUSIONS: This project will contribute to the evaluation of the effectiveness and safety of intervention strategies in controlling AD risk and reducing clinical events, providing a basis for public health decision-making in China.

[Prognostic performance of pulmonary effective arterial elastance in patients with heart failure].

Objective: To explore the predictive value of pulmonary effective arterial elastance (Ea) in patients with heart failure (HF). Methods: This is a retrospective cohort study, which retrospectively included 284 patients with HF who underwent right heart catheterization at Heart Failure Center in Fuwai Hospital between September 2013 and February 2022. Data regarding baseline clinical characteristics, hemodynamic profiles, and prognosis were collected. Ea was calculated as mean pulmonary arterial pressure/stroke volume. Patients were divided into Ea<0.555 group and Ea≥0.555 group according to the median value of Ea (0.555 mmHg/ml, 1 mmHg=0.133 kPa). The primary outcome was the primary clinical event, set as the first occurrence of a series of composite events, including all-cause death, heart transplantation, left ventricular assist device implantation, and HF rehospitalization. Event-free survival was defined as the absence of primary clinical events. Spearman correlation analysis was used to calculate the correlation coefficient between Ea and parameters reflective of right heart function. The Kaplan-Meier analysis was used to compare the different groups for the estimation of outcomes with the log-rank test. We used Cox proportional-hazards regression models to estimate hazard ratios (HR) for primary clinical event. Subgroup analysis was performed based on the age, gender, New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional class, left ventricular ejection fraction, presence of pulmonary hypertension, and serum N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) values. We used receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve to calculate the area under the curve (AUC) of Ea for predicting event-free survival in patients with HF. Results: The median age was 51 years, and 206 (72.5%) patients were male. Ea and pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR) were significantly correlated (r=0.698, P<0.001). The correlation between Ea and pulmonary arterial elastance (PAC) were even more significant (r=-0.888, P<0.001). Compared with Ea<0.555 group, Ea≥0.555 group presented with higher serum NT-proBNP values (4 443 (1 792, 8 554) ng/L vs. 1 721 (480, 4 528)ng/L,P<0.001), higher PVR (3.4 (2.5, 4.7) Wood vs. 1.4 (0.9, 2.2) Wood, P<0.001), lower cardiac output (3.0 (2.3, 3.9) L/min vs. 4.3 (3.8, 4.9) L/min, P<0.001), and lower PAC (1.6 (1.3, 2.0) ml/mmHg vs. 4.0 (3.0, 6.0) ml/mmHg, P<0.001). The median follow-up time was 392 (166, 811) days. The Kaplan-Meier survival curve demonstrated a lower event-free survival rate in the Ea≥0.555 group compared to the Ea<0.555 group (Plog-rank<0.001). After multivariate adjustment, Ea (HR=1.734, P<0.001) remained significantly associated with the primary outcome. Subgroup analysis indicated that Ea was associated with the primary outcome across all subgroups. The AUC was 0.724 (P<0.001) for Ea to predict event-free survival calculated from ROC analysis. Conclusions: Ea is closely related to parameters reflective of right ventricular afterload. Increased Ea is an independent predictor of adverse outcomes in patients with HF.

Clinical characteristics and prognostic factors of surgical treatment in children with brainstem tumor.

OBJECTIVE: Brainstem tumors present a significant challenge in surgical treatment, and the prognostic factors in children are lacking. This study aimed to investigate clinical characteristics and prognostic factors of surgical treatment in children with brainstem tumors. PATIENTS AND METHODS: 50 children with brainstem tumors who underwent surgical treatment, including frameless- or frame-based stereotactic biopsy and resection, were included and followed up for clinical and biological analysis. Factors of outcomes were assessed by univariate and multivariate analysis. RESULTS: 27 cases (54.0%) underwent resection in all children with brainstem tumors. The rate of resection reached as high as 81.8% in children with non-diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG), while in children with DIPG, biopsy was performed in the majority, and resection was obtained in the minority with focal necrosis. A rare complication was found following the surgery. Multivariate analysis considered World Health Organization (WHO) grade 3-4, with hazard ratio (HR)=4.48, 95% confidence interval (CI) of 2.84-8.69, p=0.001, H3K27M mutation (HR=2.50, 95% CI 1.73-5.69, p=0.015), and hydrocephalus (HR=2.17, 95% CI 1.08-5.32, p=0.014) as independent adverse prognostic factors. For Kaplan-Meier analysis, children with WHO grade 3-4, Ki-67 LI ≥ 20%, TP53 mutation, H3K27M mutation, DIPG, and hydrocephalus had significantly decreased overall survival (OS). CONCLUSIONS: A high rate of resection has been obtained in non-DIPG, and surgical intervention is remarkably safe and efficient for children with brainstem tumors. WHO grade 3-4, H3K27M mutation, and hydrocephalus indicate poor prognosis in children with brainstem tumors.

[Clinical characteristics of patients referred to cardio-oncology clinic].

To explore characteristics of outpatients in a single cardio-oncology clinic, patients visiting cardio-oncology clinic of Fuwai Hospital CAMS&PUMC (Beijing, China) from January 2020 to December 2021 were analyzed retrospectively. In total, 330 patients were included, the median age (Q1, Q3) was 58(46, 66) years, and there were 192 females (58.2%). The purposes for visit included an evaluation and treatment of cardiovascular adverse reactions (n=247, 74.8%), pre-antitumor therapy assessment (n=51, 15.5%), and management of primary or metastatic cardiac tumors (n=32, 9.7%). For patients with cardiovascular adverse reactions, the most common tumor type was breast cancer (n=88, 29.5%), followed by gastrointestinal cancer (n=70, 23.5%), and hematological cancers (n=62, 20.8%). Among them, 236 cases (95.5%) had received antitumor drugs in the past; 38 cases (15.4%) had a history of chest radiotherapy; some cases were complicated with hypertension (n=69, 23.2%) and/or hyperlipidemia (n=69, 23.2%); 42 cases (14.1%) had a history of coronary heart disease; and 16 cases (5.4%) were complicated with atrial fibrillation or flutter. Among 32 patients with cardiac tumors, 11 cases (34.4%) had primary malignant tumors; 6 cases (18.8%) had benign tumors; 2 cases (6.3%) had metastatic tumors; and 13 (40.6%) had unknown pathological types. This study explores the epidemiology of cardio-oncology in China and provides clinical insights for the future development of cardio-oncology. In the future, it is still necessary to study the benefits of cardio-oncology clinics and develop standardized indicators to evaluate their benefits.

[The prognostic value of free triiodothyronine/free thyroxine ratio in patients hospitalized with heart failure].

Objective: To investigate the effect of free triiodothyronine/free thyroxine (FT3/FT4) ratio on the prognosis of patients with heart failure (HF). Methods: A total of 3 527 patients hospitalized in the Heart Failure Center of Fuwai Hospital from March 2009 to June 2018 were analyzed in our study. Patients were divided into two groups according to median of FT3/FT4 ratio: low FT3/FT4 group (n=1 764, FT3/FT4<2.15) and high FT3/FT4 group (n=1 763, FT3/FT4≥2.15). The primary endpoint was defined as a composite endpoint of all-cause death or heart transplantation or implantation of a left ventricular assist device. The baseline characteristics of patients with different FT3/FT4 ratio groups were compared, and a multivariate Cox proportional hazard regression model was used to analyze the relationship between FT3/FT4 ratio and the prognosis of hospitalized patients with HF. Results: The age of the total population was (56.8±16.0) years, and 2 544 cases (72.1%) were males. The median follow-up time was 2.79 (1.00, 5.03) years, and a total of 1 542 end-point events were recorded at the final follow-up. The mean ages of patients in the low FT3/FT4 group and high FT3/FT4 group were (58.8±16.5) and (54.8±15.2) years (P<0.001), respectively; and the cumulative survival rates were 38.4% and 61.9%, respectively (P<0.001). FT3 (HR=0.72, 95%CI: 0.63-0.84, P<0.001), FT3/FT4 (HR=0.76, 95%CI: 0.65-0.87, P<0.001) was associated with all-cause death, heart transplantation, or LVAD implantation in patients with heart failure. HR values (95%CI) of FT3/FT4 ratio predicting the risk of composite endpoint in the subgroup of left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF)<40%, 40% to 49%, and≥50% were 0.91 (0.77-1.08), 0.83 (0.50-1.39), and 0.65 (0.50-0.85), respectively (P interaction=0.045). Conclusions: Low FT3 and low FT3/FT4 are important correlative factors for poor prognosis in hospitalized HF patients, especially in patients with LVEF≥50%.

Efficacy of Traditional Chinese Herbs combined with bioelectrical stimulation on patients with kidney deficiency and blood stasis type thin endometrium: a retrospective observational study.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate the efficacy of Traditional Chinese Herbs (TCH) combined with bioelectrical stimulation (BES) on patients with kidney deficiency and blood stasis type thin endometrium. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A retrospective observational study was conducted on 83 patients diagnosed with thin endometrium, treated in our hospital from August 2019 to August 2021. The clinical data of the patients were reviewed, and 60 eligible patients were categorized into two groups based on the treatment they received: the TCH-BES group (n=30, patients received Femoston, TCH and BES treatment) and the control group (n=30, patients received Femoston only). The endometrial thickness (EMT), uterine artery resistance index (RI) and pulsatility index (PI), serum reproductive hormone levels, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) syndrome scores, and clinical pregnancy outcomes between the two groups were compared. Continuous data were described as mean ± standard deviation (X- ± S). Student's t-test was used for comparison between the two groups and paired-sample t-test was used for comparison within the same group before and after the treatment. RESULTS: A total of 60 patients with thin endometrium, aged 20-35 years (average, 31.67±3.19 years), were included in this study. After the treatment, the EMT, E2 and progesterone (P) levels of the TCH-BES group were higher than that of the control group (p<0.001, p<0.05 and p<0.001, respectively), the PI, RI level and TCM syndrome scores of the TCH-BES group were lower than those of the control group (p<0.001). The clinical efficacy and pregnancy rate in the TCH-BES group were significantly higher than those in the control group (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: TCH combined with EBS has a satisfactory efficacy on patients with kidney deficiency and blood stasis type thin endometrium, and improves EMT, E2 and P levels, reduces PI, RI and TCM syndrome, and eventually leads to a favorable clinical pregnancy outcome.

[Clinical features and prognosis of patients hospitalized with heart failure and low T3 syndrome].

Objective: To investigate the association between triiodothyronine (T3) and inflammatory factors, and its potential effect on long-term outcomes in hospitalized patients with heart failure (HF). Methods: A total of 2 475 patients with HF admitted in Heart Failure Care Unit were consecutively enrolled in this retrospective cohort study from December 2006 to June 2018. Patients were divided into low T3 syndrome group (n=610, 24.6%) and normal thyroid function group (n=1 865, 75.4%). The median follow-up time was 2.9 (1.0, 5.0) years. A total of 1 048 all-cause deaths were recorded at the final follow-up. The effects of free T3 (FT3) and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) on the risk of all-cause death were evaluated by Cox regression analysis and Kaplan-Meier analysis. Results: The age of the total population was 19-95 (57±16) years, 1 823 cases (73.7%) were male. Compared to those with normal thyroid function, albumin [(36.5±5.4) vs. (40.7±4.7) g/L], hemoglobin [(129.4±25.1) vs. (140.6±20.6) g/L], total cholesterol [3.6 (3.0, 4.4) vs. 4.2 (3.5, 4.9) mmol/L] (all P<0.001) were lower, Whereas age [(60.5±16.0) vs. (55.2±15.4) years], creatinine [105.0 (83.6, 137.0) vs. 87.8 (75.6, 106.3) mmol/L], log N-terminal B-type natriuretic peptide [(8.2±1.3) vs. (7.2±1.4) ng/L] were higher in LT3S patients (all P<0.001). In Kaplan-Meier survival analysis, patients with lower FT3 and higher hsCRP had significantly lower cumulative survival (P<0.001), lower FT3 combined with higher hsCRP subgroup had the highest risk of all-cause death (Ptrend<0.001). In multivariate Cox regression analysis, LT3S was an independent predictor of all-cause mortality (HR=1.40, 95%CI 1.16-1.69, P<0.001). Conclusion: LT3S is an independent predictor of poor prognosis in patients with heart failure. FT3 combined with hsCRP improve the predictive value of all-cause death in hospitalized patients with heart failure.

[Association between serum potassium levels and all-cause mortality in patients with acute heart failure].

Objective: To investigate the relationship between different serum potassium levels at admission and discharge and all-cause mortality in patients with acute heart failure (HF). Methods: A total of 2 621 patients with acute HF who were hospitalized in the Heart Failure Center of Fuwai Hospital from October 2008 to October 2017 were analyzed. Patients were divided into three groups according to the different serum potassium levels at admission: hypokalemia with serum potassium<3.5 mmol/L (n=329), normokalemia with 3.5-5.5 mmol/L (n=2 270), and hyperkalemia with serum potassium>5.5 mmol/L (n=22). Clinical data such as patient history, comorbidities, clinical examination and drug use were collected, and systematic outpatient review or telephone follow-up was performed after patients were discharged from the hospital until January 2020. The primary outcome was all-cause death at 90 days, 2 years, and 5 years of follow-up. We compared the clinical characteristics of patients with different serum potassium levels at admission and discharge, and used a multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression model to analyze the association between serum potassium levels at admission and discharge and all-cause mortality. Results: The age of all patients was (58.0±15.3) years old, and 1 877 patients (71.6%) were male. There were 329 (12.6%) and 22 (0.8%) patients with hypokalemia and hyperkalemia at admission, and 38 (1.4%) and 18 (0.7%) at discharge, respectively. The serum potassium levels of all patients were (4.01±0.50) and (4.25±0.44) mmol/L at admission and discharge, respectively. The follow-up time[M(Q1,Q3)] of this study was 2.63(1.00,4.42)years, and a total of 1 076 all-cause deaths were recorded at the last follow-up. Compared with patients with normokalemia at discharge, discharged patients with hypokalemia and hyperkalemia were followed up for 90 days (90.3% vs 76.3% vs 38.9%), 2 years (73.8% vs 60.5% vs 33.3%) and 5 years (63.4% vs 44.7% vs 22.2%), respectively, and the difference of which in cumulative survival rates were statistically significant (all P values<0.001). The multivariate-adjusted Cox regression analysis showed that hypokalemia (HR=0.979, 95%CI: 0.812-1.179, P=0.820) and hyperkalemia (HR=1.368, 95%CI: 0.805-2.325, P=0.247) at admission were not associated with all-cause mortality risk, however, hypokalemia (HR=1.668, 95%CI: 1.081-2.574, P=0.021) and hyperkalemia (HR=3.787, 95%CI: 2.264-6.336, P<0.001) at discharge were associated with increased all-cause mortality risk. Conclusions: Both hypokalemia and hyperkalemia at discharge in hospitalized patients with acute HF were associated with increased short-and long-term all-cause mortality, and serum potassium levels should be closely monitored.

Surgical treatment of tethered cord syndrome showed promising outcome in young children with short duration.

OBJECTIVE: Aside from the severity, surgical interventions for the treatment of neurological dysfunctions remain controversial. This study aimed to find factors predicting the benefits of tethered cord syndrome (TCS) surgery. PATIENTS AND METHODS: 80 children with TCS were included and followed up for pre- and post-operative factors along with neurophysiological analysis. Outcomes were assessed by univariate and multivariate analysis. RESULTS: Surgical treatment not only improved preoperative signs and symptoms in 79% of TCS patients but it showed to be an efficient procedure for the occurrence of future neurological defects. Univariate analysis also revealed that surgical intervention in TCS children (age <1 year) can modulate filar lipoma location and cutaneous abnormalities three months after surgery. Neurophysiological assessment revealed only 5.0% of surgical complications in TCS patients. Two patients had cerebrospinal fluid leakage, and two cases of CNS infection were detected. CONCLUSIONS: Surgical intervention is highly recommended for the prevention of neurological deficits in children with TCS. Electrophysiological monitoring revealed rare complications following the surgery.

First-line treatment and overall survival in EGFR mutation-positive advanced non-small cell lung cancer: a national cohort study.

OBJECTIVE: Non-squamous non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is the first leading cause of cancer-related deaths in Taiwan. This study aimed at evaluating the effectiveness of first-line targeted therapy for advanced epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutation-positive non-squamous NSCLC in Taiwan. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This was a real-world, retrospective, observational study of patients diagnosed with advanced non-squamous NSCLC (N=63,248). Between 2011 and 2019, 19,458 patients received targeted therapy and 22,994 patients received chemotherapy alone; between 2002 and 2010, 20,796 patients received chemotherapy alone. Overall survival (OS) was determined. RESULTS: The median OS for patients treated with first-line targeted therapy (22.9 months) was longer than that of patients receiving chemotherapy alone (11.7 months). HR: 0.521, log-rank test, p<0.001. CONCLUSIONS: These data represent the potential survival outcomes of Taiwanese patients with advanced EGFR mutation-positive non-squamous NSCLC in clinical practice.

Effects of direct-acting antiviral therapy for patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma and concomitant hepatitis C-A population-based cohort study.

OBJECTIVE: We analyzed real-world data to elucidate the effects of anti-Hepatitis C virus (HCV) direct-acting antiviral (DAA) therapy on survival in patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and concomitant HCV infection treated with sorafenib. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This population-based retrospective cohort study used the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database and the Registration System for Patients Treated with Oral Hepatitis C Antivirals to identify patients with advanced HCC and concomitant HCV infection who received initial targeted therapy (sorafenib) in 2018-2019. The overall survival (OS) of the DAA and non-DAA groups were compared using the Kaplan-Meier survival analysis. Propensity score matching was performed using a ratio of 1:4 to reduce confounding between the DAA and non-DAA groups. RESULTS: The study included 1,684 patients (122 DAA and 1,562 non-DAA users) with HCC and concomitant HCV infection who used sorafenib for the first time in 2018-2019. The Kaplan-Meier survival analysis indicated that advanced HCC patients who used DAAs had longer OS compared to non-DAA patients. The mean survival times were 20.7 months for DAA and 12.5 months for non-DAA. Results obtained after propensity matching indicated a significant difference in OS between the DAA and non-DAA groups. CONCLUSIONS: The analysis of big data from the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database revealed that advanced HCC patients on sorafenib benefited from DAAs as a treatment for HCV infection. Patients whose HCV infection was cured had better OS.

Real-world results of immune checkpoint inhibitors from the Taiwan National Health Insurance Registration System.

OBJECTIVE: Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) are a major advance in cancer treatment, but their payment benefits are unclear, resulting in financial risk. In Taiwan, the National Health Insurance Administration (NHIA) has adapted risk-sharing mechanisms to cover ICIs by collecting and assessing real-world evidence, such as case registration data, to adjust benefit packages for each medication, increase payment benefits of ICIs, and enable national health insurance sustainability. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This nationwide, multicenter, retrospective cohort study assessed the real-world use, effectiveness, and safety of ICIs reimbursed by the NHIA for treating multiple advanced cancers in Taiwan. We obtained data mainly from the NHIA Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor Registry Database. RESULTS: Between April 1, 2019, and March 31, 2020, 1644 patients received at least one dose of ICIs. The overall response rate (RR) was 29.1%. The metastatic urothelial carcinoma of patients ineligible for chemotherapy showed the highest RR. The estimated median progression-free survival (PFS) was 2.8 months (95% confidence interval [CI]=2.7-3 months), and renal cell carcinoma showed the longest PFS. The median PFS was reached in patients with most cancers except classic Hodgkin's lymphoma, which had a small sample size. The estimated survival probability was 50%. CONCLUSIONS: Under the national registration tracking system, Taiwan's high-cost drug policy has enabled access to new medicines and maximized patient benefits.

[Clinical characteristics of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and restricted cardiomyopathy patients complicating with intracardiac thrombosis].

Objective: To investigate the clinical characteristics of patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) and restrictive cardiomyopathy (RCM) complicating with intracardiac thrombosis. Methods: This is a retrospective observational study. Consecutive patients diagnosed with HCM or RCM and complicated with intracardiac thrombosis (including left and right atrium or ventricular thrombosis), who were admitted to the Heart Failure Care Unit of Fuwai Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, from September 2008 to September 2018, were enrolled in this study. Patients with myocardial infarction were excluded. The general clinical data of the enrolled patients, including demographic data, major complications, laboratory indicators, echocardiographic indicators, drug application and distribution of intracardiac thrombosis, were collected from electronic medical record system and analyzed. Results: A total of 98 patients were enrolled in this study, including 52 patients (53.1%) with HCM and 46 patients (46.9%) with RCM. The most common comorbidity was atrial fibrillation/flutter: 40 patients (76.9%) in HCM group and 36 patients (78.3%) in RCM group. Majority of patients received oral anticoagulants treatment: 43 patients (82.7%) in HCM group and 35 patients (76.1%) in RCM group. Intracardiac thrombosis was mainly located in the left atrium in both HCM group (39 cases (75.0%)) and RCM group (32 cases (69.6%)). Thrombosis was found in ≥ 2 chambers in 7 patients (7.1%). Rate of left atrial thrombosis was the highest (81.6% (62/76)) in HCM and RCM patients complicating with atrial fibrillation/flutter. Intra-aneurysmal thrombosis occurred in 4 out of 5 patients complicated with apical left ventricular aneurysm. The rate of left ventricular thrombosis in patients with left ventricular ejection fraction≥50% was 7.4% (4/54), which was significantly lower than that in patients with left ventricular ejection fraction<50% (34.5%(10/29)) (P<0.01). Conclusion: There are certain distribution characteristics of HCM and RCM patients with intracardiac thrombosis, and the left atrium is the most common site of thrombosis, more attention should be paid in HCM and RCM patients on the diagnosis and treatment of intracardiac thrombosis.

[Analysis of gene mutation spectrum and pharmacokinetics of fibrinogen infusion in 146 cases of congenital fibrinogen disorders].

Objective: To investigate the clinical type and gene mutations, clinical manifestations, laboratory tests, diagnosis, and fibrinogen replacement therapy of congenital fibrinogen disorders. Methods: Clinical data of 146 patients with congenital fibrinogen disorders diagnosed from April 2000 to November 2020 were retrospectively analyzed. Results: Among the 146 patients, 61 (41.8%) men and 85 (58.2%) women had a median age of 33.5 years at the time of consultation. 34 patients (34.7%) were found to suffer from the disease due to bleeding symptoms, 33 patients (33.7%) due to preoperative examination. 55 patients (56.1%) had at least one bleeding symptom, and 42 patients (42.9%) had no bleeding symptoms. There is a negative correlation between fibrinogen activity concentration and bleeding ISTH-BAT score (rs=-0.412, P=0.001) . A total of 34 gene mutations were detected in 56 patients, of which 84.1% were missense mutations, and 16 new mutations were found. FGA Exon2 and FGG Exon8 mutations accounted for 71.4% of all mutation sites. Patients with afibrinogenemia were younger, with a median age of 2 (1-12) years, an ISTH-BAT score of 4, and patients with dysfibrinogenemia had significantly longer thrombin time (TT) , with a median of 28.5 (19.2-36.6) s. The 1 hour in vivo recovery (IVR) after fibrinogen infusion was (127.19±44.03) %, and the 24 hour IVR was (101.78±43.98) %. In addition to the obvious increase in the concentration of fibrinogen activity, the TT and the prothrombin time (PT) both decreased significantly, and the TT decreased more significantly, with an average decrease of 15.2% compared to the baseline after 24 hours of infusion. Conclusion: Most patients with congenital fibrinogen disorders have mild or no bleeding symptoms. Patients with afibrinogenemia have more severe symptoms. There is a negative correlation between the fibrinogen and the degree of bleeding. Genetic testing is helpful for the diagnosis of disease classification. FIB∶C/FIB∶Ag<0.7 can be used as a basis for clinical diagnosis. The TT can be used as the basis for the diagnosis of dysfibrinogenemia and the effectiveness of fibrinogen infusion.

[Risk factors of peritoneal metastasis in primary appendiceal tumor].

Objective: To investigate the risk factors of peritoneal metastasis in primary appendiceal tumor. Methods: The clinic data of 71 patients with primary appendiceal tumor admitted in the Sixth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University between Dec 2012 and Jan 2019 were enrolled retrospectively. Multivariate logistic regression analysis were carried out to evaluate the risk factors of appendiceal tumor with peritoneal metastasis. Results: Of the 71 patients, 33 were peritoneal metastasis (peritoneal metastasis group) and 38 were non-peritoneal metastasis (no peritoneal metastasis group). Twenty-one patients in the peritoneal metastasis group had increased preoperative cancer embryo antigen (CEA), while 3 cases in the non-peritoneal metastasis group, with statistically significant difference (P<0.001). Sixteen cases in peritoneal metastasis group had increased preoperative carbohydrate antigen 199, while only 2 cases in the non-peritoneal metastasis group, the difference was statistically significant (P<0.001). The pathological type of 30 cases in the peritoneal metastasis group was adenocarcinoma (including mucus adenocarcinoma and colon adenocarcinoma), while 12 cases of adenocarcinoma in the non-peritoneal metastasis group, with statistically significant difference (P<0.001). Twelve cases in the peritoneal metastasis group had lymph node metastasis, while 3 cases in the non-peritoneal metastasis group, the difference is statistically significant (P=0.003). Preoperative CEA elevation and pathological type is adenocarinoma were independent risk factors for peritoneal metastasis of appendiceal cancer (P<0.05). Conclusions: The propensity of peritoneal metastasis in primary appendiceal tumor is high and the outcome is poor. Patients with increased preoperative CEA, adenocarcinoma histopathology are more inclined to have peritoneal metastasis.

[Application of deep convolutional neural networks in the diagnosis of laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma based on narrow band imaging endoscopy].

Objective: To explore the possibility of using artificial intelligence (AI) technology based on convolutional neural network (CNN) to assist the clinical diagnosis of laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC) through deep learning algorithm. Methods: A deep CNN was developed and applied in narrow band imaging (NBI) endoscopy of 4 799 patients with laryngeal lesions, including 3 168 males and 1 631 females, aged from 21 to 87 years, from 2015 to 2017 in Beijing Tongren Hospital, Capital Medical University. A simple randomization method was used to select the laryngeal NBI images of 2 427 patients (1 388 benign lesions and 1 039 LSCC lesions) for the training and correction the CNN model. The remaining laryngeal NBI images of 2 372 patients (including 1 276 benign lesions and 1 096 LSCC lesions) were used as validation data set to compare performance between CNN and otolaryngologists. SPSS 21.0 software was used for Chi-square test to calculate the accuracy, sensitivity and specificity of AI and otolaryngologists. The area under the curve (AUC) of receiver operating curve (ROC) was used to evaluate the diagnostic ability of the algorithm for NBI images. Results: The accuracy, sensitivity and specificity for NBI predictions were respectively 90.91% (AUC=0.96), 90.12% and 91.53%, which were equivalent to those for otolaryngologists' predictions (accuracy, sensitivity and specificity were (91.93±3.20)%, (91.33±3.25)% and (93.02±2.59)%, t values were 0.64, 0.75 and 1.17, and P values were 0.32, 0.28 and 0.21, respectively). The diagnostic efficiency of CNN was significantly higher than that of otolaryngologists (0.01 vs. 5.50, t =9.15, P<0.001). Conclusion: AI based on deep CNN is effective for using in the laryngeal NBI image diagnosis, showing a good application prospect in the diagnosis of LSCC.

Trace analysis of therapeutic inertia and subsequent hemoglobin A1c outcomes in a 2-year cohort study.

OBJECTIVE: Our understanding of therapeutic inertia in diabetes care is incomplete in terms of an assessment across a nationwide population. The key objectives of this investigation were to measure therapeutic inertia and link this phenomenon to the important surrogate outcome of hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) control in a nationwide cohort. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We performed a retrospective cohort study over 18 months. Laboratory and prescription data were collected for 41,948 patients (women: 53.1%) with diabetes who had at least two HbA1c results. The association between treatment intensity and glycemic control, using the change in HbA1c during the observation period, and whether the HbA1c outcome was greater than 9% were examined. RESULTS: Among the patients who exhibited a secondary HbA1c result exceeding 9%, 8,630 (78.26%) had undergone intensified therapy at the time of the index HbA1c measurement, and among these patients, the incidence ratio of the last HbA1c outcome exceeding 9% after 6 to 18 months was 0.779-fold (95% Cl 0.728 to 0.834) greater than those who had not received intensified therapy (p < .001). CONCLUSIONS: After tracking patient data for a particular period, we found that patients with diabetes who received intensified therapy achieved surrogate outcomes of HbA1c control that were more favorable.