Predicting high-risk pre-capillary pulmonary hypertension: an echocardiographic multiparameter scoring index.

BACKGROUND: The risk stratification of pulmonary arterial hypertension proposed by the European Society of Cardiology /European Respiratory Society guidelines in 2015 and 2022 included two to three echocardiographic indicators. However, the specific value of echocardiography in risk stratification of pre-capillary pulmonary hypertension (pcPH) has not been efficiently demonstrated. Given the complex geometry of the right ventricular (RV) and influencing factors of echocardiographic parameter, there is no single echocardiographic parameter that reliably informs about PH status. We hypothesize that a multi-parameter comprehensive index can more accurately evaluate the severity of the pcPH. The purpose of this study was to develop and validate an echocardiographic risk score model to better assist clinical identifying high risk of pcPH during initial diagnosis and follow-up. METHODS: We studied 197 consecutive patients with pcPH. A multivariable echocardiographic model was constructed to predict the high risk of pcPH in the training set. Points were assigned to significant risk factors in the final model based on ß-coefficients. We validated the model internally and externally. RESULTS: The echocardiographic score was constructed by multivariable logistic regression, which showed that pericardial effusion, right atrial (RA) area, RV outflow tract proximal diameter (RVOT-Prox), the velocity time integral of the right ventricular outflow tract (TVIRVOT) and S' were predictors of high risk of pcPH. The area under curve (AUC) of the training set of the scoring model was 0.882 (95%CI: 0.809-0.956, p < 0.0001). External validation was tested in a test dataset of 77 patients. The AUC of the external validation set was 0.852. A 10-point score risk score was generated, with scores ranging from 0 to 10 in the training cohort. The estimate risk of high risk of pcPH ranged from 25.1 to 94.6%. CONCLUSIONS: The echocardiographic risk score using five echocardiographic parameters could be comprehensive and useful to predict the high risk of pcPH for initial assessment and follow-up.

Clinical characteristics and mortality predictors among very old patients with pulmonary thromboembolism: a multicenter study report.

BACKGROUND: Clinical characteristics of patients with pulmonary thromboembolism have been described in previous studies. Although very old patients with pulmonary thromboembolism are a special group based on comorbidities and age, they do not receive special attention. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to explore the clinical characteristics and mortality predictors among very old patients with pulmonary thromboembolism in a relatively large population. DESIGN AND PARTICIPANTS: The study included a total of 7438 patients from a national, multicenter, registry study, the China pUlmonary thromboembolism REgistry Study (CURES). Consecutive patients with acute pulmonary thromboembolism were enrolled and were divided into three groups. Comparisons were performed between these three groups in terms of clinical characteristics, comorbidities and in-hospital prognosis. Mortality predictors were analyzed in very old patients with pulmonary embolism. KEY RESULTS: In 7,438 patients with acute pulmonary thromboembolism, 609 patients aged equal to or greater than 80 years (male 354 (58.1%)). There were 2743 patients aged between 65 and 79 years (male 1313 (48%)) and 4095 patients aged younger than 65 years (male 2272 (55.5%)). Patients with advanced age had significantly more comorbidities and worse condition, however, some predisposing factors were more obvious in younger patients with pulmonary thromboembolism. PaO2 < 60 mmHg, eGFR < 60 mL/min/1.73m2, malignancy, anticoagulation as first therapy were mortality predictors for all-cause death in very old patients with pulmonary thromboembolism. The analysis found that younger patients were more likely to have chest pain, hemoptysis (the difference was statistically significant) and dyspnea triad. CONCLUSION: In very old population diagnosed with pulmonary thromboembolism, worse laboratory results, atypical symptoms and physical signs were common. Mortality was very high and comorbid conditions were their features compared to younger patients. PaO2 < 60 mmHg, eGFR < 60 mL/min/1.73m2 and malignancy were positive mortality predictors for all-cause death in very old patients with pulmonary thromboembolism while anticoagulation as first therapy was negative mortality predictors.

Genome-wide association analyses identified novel susceptibility loci for pulmonary embolism among Han Chinese population.

BACKGROUND: A large proportion of pulmonary embolism (PE) heritability remains unexplained, particularly among the East Asian (EAS) population. Our study aims to expand the genetic architecture of PE and reveal more genetic determinants in Han Chinese. METHODS: We conducted the first genome-wide association study (GWAS) of PE in Han Chinese, then performed the GWAS meta-analysis based on the discovery and replication stages. To validate the effect of the risk allele, qPCR and Western blotting experiments were used to investigate possible changes in gene expression. Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis was employed to implicate pathogenic mechanisms, and a polygenic risk score (PRS) for PE risk prediction was generated. RESULTS: After meta-analysis of the discovery dataset (622 cases, 8853 controls) and replication dataset (646 cases, 8810 controls), GWAS identified 3 independent loci associated with PE, including the reported loci FGG rs2066865 (p-value = 3.81 × 10-14), ABO rs582094 (p-value = 1.16 × 10-10) and newly reported locus FABP2 rs1799883 (p-value = 7.59 × 10-17). Previously reported 10 variants were successfully replicated in our cohort. Functional experiments confirmed that FABP2-A163G(rs1799883) promoted the transcription and protein expression of FABP2. Meanwhile, MR analysis revealed that high LDL-C and TC levels were associated with an increased risk of PE. Individuals with the top 10% of PRS had over a fivefold increased risk for PE compared to the general population. CONCLUSIONS: We identified FABP2, related to the transport of long-chain fatty acids, contributing to the risk of PE and provided more evidence for the essential role of metabolic pathways in PE development.

Clinical and economic burden of comorbid coronary artery disease in patients with acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: sex differences in a nationwide cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Coronary artery disease (CAD) is a common comorbidity of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). However, data related to the impact of CAD on outcomes of acute exacerbation of COPD (AECOPD) are limited and whether the relationship depends on sex remains unknown. Our aim was to determine the impact of comorbid CAD on clinical outcomes among men and women with AECOPD. METHODS: We used data from the acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease inpatient registry (ACURE) study, which is a nationwide observational real-world study conducted between September 2017 and February 2020 at 163 centers in patients admitted with AECOPD as their primary diagnosis. Patients were stratified according to the presence or absence of CAD in men and women. The primary outcomes were the length of hospital stay and economic burden during hospitalization. RESULTS: Among 3906 patients included in our study, the prevalence of CAD was 17.0%, and it was higher in women than in men (19.5% vs. 16.3%; P = 0.034). Age and other cardiovascular diseases were common factors associated with comorbid CAD in men and women, while body-mass index, cerebrovascular disease, and diabetes were determinants in men and pre-admission use of long-acting beta-adrenoceptor agonist and home oxygen therapy were protective factors in women. Only in men, patients with CAD had a longer length of hospital stay (median 10.0 vs. 9.0 days, P < 0.001), higher total cost during hospitalization (median $1502.2 vs. $1373.4, P < 0.001), and more severe COPD symptoms at day 30 compared to those without CAD. No significant difference was found in women. Comorbid CAD showed no relationship with 30-day readmission or death regardless of sex. In our real-world study, mortality/readmission risk within 30 days increased in patients with previous frequent hospitalizations and poorer pulmonary function. CONCLUSIONS: In hospitalized AECOPD patients, comorbid CAD was significantly associated with poorer short-term outcomes in men. Clinicians should have heightened attention for men with comorbid CAD to achieve an optimal management of AECOPD patients.

LMWHs dosage and outcomes in acute pulmonary embolism with renal insufficiency, an analysis from a large real-world study.

BACKGROUND: Renal function is associated with prognoses for acute pulmonary embolism (PE). OBJECTIVE: To investigate the application of anticoagulants and dosage of LMWH among patients with renal insufficiency (RI), and the association between LWMH dosage and the patients' in-hospital outcomes. METHODS: Adult patients diagnosed with non-high risk acute PE from 2009 to 2015, with available data of creatinine clearance (CCr) were enrolled from a multicenter registry in China. Renal insufficiency (RI) was defined as CCr < 60 ml/min. LMWH dosage was converted into IU/kg daily dose and presented as adjusted dose (≤ 100 IU/kg/day) and conventional dose (> 100 IU/kg/day). All-cause death, PE-related death and bleeding events during hospitalization were analyzed as endpoints. RESULTS: Among the enrolled 5870 patients, RI occurred in 1311 (22.3%). 30 ≤ CCr < 60 ml/min was associated with higher rate of bleeding events and CCr < 30 ml/min was associated with all-cause death, PE-related death and major bleeding. Adjusted-dose LMWH was applied in 26.1% of patients with 30 ≤ CCr < 60 ml/min and in 26.2% of CCr < 30 ml/min patients. Among patients with RI, in-hospital bleeding occurred more frequently in those who were administered conventional dose of LMWH, compared with adjusted dose (9.2% vs 5.0%, p = 0.047). Adjusted dose of LMWH presented as protective factor for in-hospital bleeding (OR 0.62, 95%CI 0.27-1.00, p = 0.0496) and the risk of bleeding increased as length of hospital stay prolonged (OR 1.03, 95%CI 1.01-1.06, p = 0.0014). CONCLUSIONS: The proportion of adjusted usage of LMWH was low. The application of adjusted-dose LMWH was associated with lower risk of in-hospital bleeding for RI patients, in real-world setting of PE treatment. Anticoagulation strategy for RI patients should be paid more attention and requires evidence of high quality. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The CURES was registered in ClinicalTrias.gov, identifier number: NCT02943343 .

The accuracy and influencing factors of Doppler echocardiography in estimating pulmonary artery systolic pressure: comparison with right heart catheterization: a retrospective cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Noninvasive assessment of pulmonary artery systolic pressure by Doppler echocardiography (sPAPECHO) has been widely adopted to screen for pulmonary hypertension (PH), but there is still a high proportion of overestimation or underestimation of sPAPECHO. We therefore aimed to explore the accuracy and influencing factors of sPAPECHO with right heart catheterization (RHC) as a reference. METHODS: A total of 218 highly suspected PH patients who underwent RHC and echocardiography within 7 days were included. The correlation and consistency between tricuspid regurgitation (TR)-related methods and RHC results were tested by Pearson and Bland-Altman methods. TR-related methods included peak velocity of TR (TR Vmax), TR pressure gradient (TR-PG), TR mean pressure gradient (TR-mPG), estimated mean pulmonary artery pressure (mPAPECHO), and sPAPECHO. With mPAP ≥ 25 mm Hg measured by RHC as the standard diagnostic criterion of PH, the ROC curve was used to compare the diagnostic efficacy of sPAPECHO with other TR-derived parameters. The ratio (sPAPECHO-sPAPRHC)/sPAPRHC was calculated and divided into three groups as follows: patients with an estimation error between - 10% and + 10% were defined as the accurate group; patients with an estimated difference greater than + 10% were classified as the overestimated group; and patients with an estimation error greater than - 10% were classified as the underestimated group. The influencing factors of sPAPECHO were analyzed by ordinal regression analysis. RESULTS: sPAPECHO had the highest correlation coefficient (r = 0.781, P < 0.001), best diagnostic efficiency (AUC = 0.98), and lowest bias (mean bias = 0.07 mm Hg; 95% limits of agreement, - 32.08 to + 32.22 mm Hg) compared with other TR-related methods. Ordinal regression analysis showed that TR signal quality, sPAPRHC level, and pulmonary artery wedge pressure (PAWP) affected the accuracy of sPAPECHO (P < 0.05). Relative to the good signal quality, the OR values of medium and poor signal quality were 0.26 (95% CI: 0.14, 0.48) and 0.23 (95% CI: 0.07, 0.73), respectively. Compared with high sPAPRHC level, the OR values of low and medium sPAPRHC levels were 21.56 (95% CI: 9.57, 48.55) and 5.13 (95% CI: 2.55, 10.32), respectively. The OR value of PAWP was 0.94 (95% CI: 0.89, 0.99). TR severity and right ventricular systolic function had no significant effect on the accuracy of sPAPECHO. CONCLUSIONS: In this study, we found that all TR-related methods, including sPAPECHO, had comparable and good efficiency in PH screening. To make the assessment of sPAPECHO more accurate, attention should be paid to TR signal quality, sPAPRHC level, and PAWP.

Trends in risk stratification, in-hospital management and mortality of patients with acute pulmonary embolism: an analysis from the China pUlmonary thromboembolism REgistry Study (CURES).

Similar trends of management and in-hospital mortality of acute pulmonary embolism (PE) have been reported in European and American populations. However, these tendencies are not clear in Asian countries. We retrospectively analysed the trends of risk stratification, management and in-hospital mortality for patients with acute PE through a multicentre registry in China (CURES).Adult patients with acute symptomatic PE were included between 2009 and 2015. Trends in disease diagnosis, treatment and death in hospital were fully analysed. Risk stratification was retrospectively classified by haemodynamic status and the simplified Pulmonary Embolism Severity Index (sPESI) score according to the 2014 European Society of Cardiology/European Respiratory Society guidelines.Among 7438 patients, the proportions with high (haemodynamic instability), intermediate (sPESI≥1) and low (sPESI=0) risk were 4.2%, 67.1% and 28.7%, respectively. Computed tomographic pulmonary angiography was the most widely used diagnostic approach (87.6%) and anticoagulation was the most frequently adopted initial therapy (83.7%). Between 2009 and 2015, a significant decline was observed for all-cause mortality (from 3.1% to 1.3%, adjusted pfor trend=0.0003), with a concomitant reduction in the use of initial systemic thrombolysis (from 14.8% to 5.0%, pfor trend<0.0001). The common predictors for all-cause mortality shared by haemodynamically stable and unstable patients were co-existing cancer, older age and impaired renal function.The considerable reduction of mortality over the years was accompanied by changes in initial treatment. These findings highlight the importance of risk stratification-guided management throughout the nation.

Characteristics of women infected with human papillomavirus in a tertiary hospital in Beijing China, 2014-2018.

BACKGROUND: Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection is the main cause of precancerous lesions and cervical cancer in women. In order to determine the epidemiological characteristics as well as the relationship between the HPV genotype and cytology test results among women in Beijing, China, we retrospectively collected and analyzed the data from a tertiary hospital in Beijing, China. METHODS: A total of 21,239 women visited the China-Japan Friendship Hospital between 2014 and 2018 and their cervical exfoliations were collected. Thirteen HPV subtypes (16, 18, 31, 33, 35, 39, 45, 51, 52, 56, 58, 59 and 68) were examined and ThinPrep cytological test (TCT) was performed. RESULTS: Among all cases, 4473 (21.06%) women were infected with HPV. HPV52 (4.64%), HPV16 (4.44%) and HPV58 (4.28%) had higher prevalence. Single-type infection (77.26%) was more common than multiple-type infection (22.74%). Single-type infection was more frequently seen in women aged 50-60 years (17.17%), and multiple-type infection was more common in those aged < 30 years (7.88%). Significant differences in secular trends from 2014 to 2018 were observed for subtypes HPV39, 51, 52 and 58. HPV positive rates of women aged < 30 and 30-40 years changed significantly along with the time period, and the TCT positive rates of women aged 30-40, 40-50, 50-60 and >  60 years also showed significant differences from 2014 to 2018. In addition, 1746 (8.22%) women were TCT positive, of whom, 858 (4.04%), 561 (2.64%) and 327 (1.54%) had atypical squamous cells (ASCs), low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (LSILs) and high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (HSILs), respectively. Among four types of cytological lesions, the HPV infection rates were 16.76, 66.08, 63.99 and 85.32% in those negative for intraepithelial lesions or malignancy (NILM), ASC, LSIL and HSIL, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: HPV52, 16 and 58 are the most common infection subtypes in this study and among four types of cytological lesions, HSILs has the highest HPV prevalence. Significant differences in secular trends are observed for different subtypes in recent 5 years. The results on HPV genotype-specific prevalence should be considered when the HPV vaccine program is implemented in Beijing area.

Genetic variation in the immunosuppression pathway genes and breast cancer susceptibility: a pooled analysis of 42,510 cases and 40,577 controls from the Breast Cancer Association Consortium.

Immunosuppression plays a pivotal role in assisting tumors to evade immune destruction and promoting tumor development. We hypothesized that genetic variation in the immunosuppression pathway genes may be implicated in breast cancer tumorigenesis. We included 42,510 female breast cancer cases and 40,577 controls of European ancestry from 37 studies in the Breast Cancer Association Consortium (2015) with available genotype data for 3595 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in 133 candidate genes. Associations between genotyped SNPs and overall breast cancer risk, and secondarily according to estrogen receptor (ER) status, were assessed using multiple logistic regression models. Gene-level associations were assessed based on principal component analysis. Gene expression analyses were conducted using RNA sequencing level 3 data from The Cancer Genome Atlas for 989 breast tumor samples and 113 matched normal tissue samples. SNP rs1905339 (A>G) in the STAT3 region was associated with an increased breast cancer risk (per allele odds ratio 1.05, 95 % confidence interval 1.03-1.08; p value = 1.4 × 10(-6)). The association did not differ significantly by ER status. On the gene level, in addition to TGFBR2 and CCND1, IL5 and GM-CSF showed the strongest associations with overall breast cancer risk (p value = 1.0 × 10(-3) and 7.0 × 10(-3), respectively). Furthermore, STAT3 and IL5 but not GM-CSF were differentially expressed between breast tumor tissue and normal tissue (p value = 2.5 × 10(-3), 4.5 × 10(-4) and 0.63, respectively). Our data provide evidence that the immunosuppression pathway genes STAT3, IL5, and GM-CSF may be novel susceptibility loci for breast cancer in women of European ancestry.

Natural fatty acid synthase inhibitors as potent therapeutic agents for cancers: A review.

Context Fatty acid synthase (FAS) is the only mammalian enzyme to catalyse the synthesis of fatty acid. The expression level of FAS is related to cancer progression, aggressiveness and metastasis. In recent years, research on natural FAS inhibitors with significant bioactivities and low side effects has increasingly become a new trend. Herein, we present recent research progress on natural fatty acid synthase inhibitors as potent therapeutic agents. Objective This paper is a mini overview of the typical natural FAS inhibitors and their possible mechanism of action in the past 10 years (2004-2014). Method The information was collected and compiled through major databases including Web of Science, PubMed, and CNKI. Results Many natural products induce cancer cells apoptosis by inhibiting FAS expression, with fewer side effects than synthetic inhibitors. Conclusion Natural FAS inhibitors are widely distributed in plants (especially in herbs and foods). Some natural products (mainly phenolics) possessing potent biological activities and stable structures are available as lead compounds to synthesise promising FAS inhibitors.

Assessment of variation in immunosuppressive pathway genes reveals TGFBR2 to be associated with prognosis of estrogen receptor-negative breast cancer after chemotherapy.

INTRODUCTION: Tumor lymphocyte infiltration is associated with clinical response to chemotherapy in estrogen receptor (ER) negative breast cancer. To identify variants in immunosuppressive pathway genes associated with prognosis after adjuvant chemotherapy for ER-negative patients, we studied stage I-III invasive breast cancer patients of European ancestry, including 9,334 ER-positive (3,151 treated with chemotherapy) and 2,334 ER-negative patients (1,499 treated with chemotherapy). METHODS: We pooled data from sixteen studies from the Breast Cancer Association Consortium (BCAC), and employed two independent studies for replications. Overall 3,610 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in 133 genes were genotyped as part of the Collaborative Oncological Gene-environment Study, in which phenotype and clinical data were collected and harmonized. Multivariable Cox proportional hazard regression was used to assess genetic associations with overall survival (OS) and breast cancer-specific survival (BCSS). Heterogeneity according to chemotherapy or ER status was evaluated with the log-likelihood ratio test. RESULTS: Three independent SNPs in TGFBR2 and IL12B were associated with OS (P <10⁻³) solely in ER-negative patients after chemotherapy (267 events). Poorer OS associated with TGFBR2 rs1367610 (G > C) (per allele hazard ratio (HR) 1.54 (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.22 to 1.95), P = 3.08 × 10⁻4) was not found in ER-negative patients without chemotherapy or ER-positive patients with chemotherapy (P for interaction <10-3). Two SNPs in IL12B (r² = 0.20) showed different associations with ER-negative disease after chemotherapy: rs2546892 (G > A) with poorer OS (HR 1.50 (95% CI 1.21 to 1.86), P = 1.81 × 10⁻4), and rs2853694 (A > C) with improved OS (HR 0.73 (95% CI 0.61 to 0.87), P = 3.67 × 10⁻4). Similar associations were observed with BCSS. Association with TGFBR2 rs1367610 but not IL12B variants replicated using BCAC Asian samples and the independent Prospective Study of Outcomes in Sporadic versus Hereditary Breast Cancer Study and yielded a combined HR of 1.57 ((95% CI 1.28 to 1.94), P = 2.05 × 10⁻5) without study heterogeneity. CONCLUSIONS: TGFBR2 variants may have prognostic and predictive value in ER-negative breast cancer patients treated with adjuvant chemotherapy. Our findings provide further insights into the development of immunotherapeutic targets for ER-negative breast cancer.

Sociodemographic correlates with prevalence of comorbidities in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: a study from a Chinese National Survey.

Background: An increase in the prevalence of comorbidities has been reported in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). However, contemporary estimates of the overall prevalence of the sociodemographic correlates of COPD comorbidities are scarce and inconsistent in China. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of sociodemographic correlates of comorbidities in patients with COPD across China. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study. We used data from the Enjoying Breathing Program between May 2020 and April 2022. Participants with COPD from 17 provinces (or equivalent) were included. Comorbidity clusters were stratified based on the number of comorbidities per person. Univariable and multivariable analyses were used to determine the sociodemographic associations of patients with COPD with specific clusters of comorbidities after adjusting for age, sex, and other prespecified covariates. Tetrachoric correlation analyses were performed to determine the associations between specific comorbidities. Findings: A total of 3913 participants with COPD were included, of whom 1744 (44.7%) had at least one comorbidity; 25.4% had one comorbid disease, 12.9% had two, and 6.4% had three or more concurrent diseases. The most common comorbidities were hypertension (17.8%), asthma (9.9%), bronchiectasis (8.2%), diabetes (8.2%), and coronary artery disease (7.7%). In the logistic regression models adjusted for a broad set of factors, patients with COPD residing in the east region of China and having health insurance experienced a decreased likelihood of comorbidities (from OR = 0.70 [95% confidence interval [CI], 0.53-0.93] to OR = 0.50 [95% CI, 0.25-0.99]). However, patients over 80 years had increased risk (OR 1.43 [95% CI 1.01-2.03]), as did those in all Modified Medical Research Council (mMRC) grade categories (grade 1: OR = 1.30 [95% CI, 1.02-1.65]; grade 2: OR = 1.39 [95% CI, 1.07-1.8]; grade 3: OR = 1.67 [95% CI, 1.23-2.26]; and grade 4: OR = 1.81 [95% CI, 1.00-3.28]) and in Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) 2 classification (OR = 1.30 [95% CI, 1.03-1.65]) relative to their respective references. The associations observed in these subgroups were consistent regardless of the number of comorbidities per person. Tetrachoric correlations demonstrated negative associations in pairwise comparisons of the top five comorbidities, ranging from -0.03 to -0.31 (p < 0.001 in all groups). Interpretation: In China, comorbidities are highly prevalent among patients with COPD, with older age, higher mMRC grade, and lung function decline being the major risk factors. Studies with larger sample sizes are required to elucidate the complex mechanisms underlying COPD comorbidities. Funding: This study was funded by CAMS Innovation Fund for Medical Sciences (CIFMS) (2021-I2M-1-049 and 2022-I2M-C&T-B-107).

Fatty infiltration in the posterior muscles of the lower extremities as an MRI feature in antimitochondrial antibody-associated myopathy.

OBJECTIVE: Idiopathic inflammatory myopathy (IIM) with antimitochondrial M2 antibody (AMA-M2) has been associated with distinct clinical characteristics. In this study, we explore the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings of the muscles of the lower extremities in AMA-M2-positive IIM to gain more insight. METHODS: MRI of 22 lower extremity muscles was retrospectively evaluated in 14 patients with AMA-M2-positive IIM and 37 age- and sex-matched patients with AMA-M2-negative IIM. Muscles with inflammatory edema and fatty infiltration were assessed according to the Stramare and Mercuri criteria. RESULTS: Patients with AMA-M2-positive IIM had significantly higher incidence of MRI involvement with fatty infiltration in five lower extremity muscles, namely the adductor magnus (AM) (13/14 VS 14/37, p < 0.001), semimembranosus (SM) (13/14 VS 17/37, p = 0.002), biceps femoris (BF) (12/14 VS 15/37, p = 0.004), soleus (13/14 VS 23/37, p = 0.041), and the medial head of the gastrocnemius (Gastroc M) (13/14 VS 17/37, p = 0.002) than patients with AMA-M2-negative IIM. Furthermore, the severity scores of fatty infiltrations of the above five muscles in AMA-M2-positive IIM were significantly higher than those in patients with AMA-M2-negative IIM (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Severe fatty infiltrations of the AM, SM, BF, soleus, and Gastroc M in the posterior muscles of the lower extremities are dominant MRI features in our patients with AMA-M2-positive IIM. This unique muscle MRI character may be a helpful indicator in clinical practice for patients with AMA-M2-positive IIM. Key Points • Striking involvement and prominent fatty infiltrations of five lower extremity muscles (adductor magnus, semimembranosus, biceps femoris, soleus, and the medial head of the gastrocnemius) are interesting MRI performances. • Severe fatty infiltrations in the posterior muscles of the lower extremities are dominant MRI features in AMA-M2-positive IIM. • This unique muscle MRI character may be very helpful for the diagnosis of the AMA-M2-positive IIM.

Efficacy and safety of a music-therapy facilitated pulmonary telerehabilitation program in COPD patients: the COPDMELODY study protocol.

Despite considerable evidence for the benefit in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), the implementation of pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) is insufficient. However, music therapy may help address this gap due to its unique benefits. Therefore, we aimed to develop a music-therapy facilitated pulmonary telerehabilitation program based on rhythm-guided walking, singing, and objective telemonitoring. A supervised, parallel-group, single-blinded, randomized controlled clinical trial will be conducted, including 75 patients with COPD anticipated to be randomized in a 1:1:1 ratio into three groups. The intervention groups will receive a 12-week remotely monitored rehabilitation program, while the usual care group will not receive any rehabilitation interventions. Of the two intervention groups, the multi-module music therapy group will contain rhythm-guided walking and singing training, while the rhythm-guided walking group will only include music tempo-guided walking. The primary outcome is the distance of the incremental shuttle walking test. Secondary outcomes include respiratory muscle function, spirometry, lower extremity function, symptoms, quality of life, anxiety and depression levels, physical activity level, training adherence, and safety measurements. The results of this study can contribute to develop and evaluate a home-based music-facilitated rehabilitation program, which has the potential to act as a supplement and/or substitute (according to the needs) for traditional center-based PR in patients with stable COPD. Clinical trial registration: https://classic.clinicaltrials.gov/, NCT05832814.

Developing and validating prediction models for severe exacerbations and readmissions in patients hospitalised for COPD exacerbation (SERCO) in China: a prospective observational study.

BACKGROUND: There is a lack of individualised prediction models for patients hospitalised with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) for clinical practice. We developed and validated prediction models of severe exacerbations and readmissions in patients hospitalised for COPD exacerbation (SERCO). METHODS: Data were obtained from the Acute Exacerbations of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Inpatient Registry study (NCT02657525) in China. Cause-specific hazard models were used to estimate coefficients. C-statistic was used to evaluate the discrimination. Slope and intercept were used to evaluate the calibration and used for model adjustment. Models were validated internally by 10-fold cross-validation and externally using data from different regions. Risk-stratified scoring scales and nomograms were provided. The discrimination ability of the SERCO model was compared with the exacerbation history in the previous year. RESULTS: Two sets with 2196 and 1869 patients from different geographical regions were used for model development and external validation. The 12-month severe exacerbations cumulative incidence rates were 11.55% (95% CI 10.06% to 13.16%) in development cohorts and 12.30% (95% CI 10.67% to 14.05%) in validation cohorts. The COPD-specific readmission incidence rates were 11.31% (95% CI 9.83% to 12.91%) and 12.26% (95% CI 10.63% to 14.02%), respectively. Demographic characteristics, medical history, comorbidities, drug usage, Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease stage and interactions were included as predictors. C-indexes for severe exacerbations were 77.3 (95% CI 70.7 to 83.9), 76.5 (95% CI 72.6 to 80.4) and 74.7 (95% CI 71.2 to 78.2) at 1, 6 and 12 months. The corresponding values for readmissions were 77.1 (95% CI 70.1 to 84.0), 76.3 (95% CI 72.3 to 80.4) and 74.5 (95% CI 71.0 to 78.0). The SERCO model was consistently discriminative and accurate with C-indexes in the derivation and internal validation groups. In external validation, the C-indexes were relatively lower at 60-70 levels. The SERCO model discriminated outcomes better than prior severe exacerbation history. The slope and intercept after adjustment showed close agreement between predicted and observed risks. However, in external validation, the models may overestimate the risk in higher-risk groups. The model-driven risk groups showed significant disparities in prognosis. CONCLUSION: The SERCO model provides individual predictions for severe exacerbation and COPD-specific readmission risk, which enables identifying high-risk patients and implementing personalised preventive intervention for patients with COPD.

Development and validation of a COVID-19 vaccination prediction model based on self-reporting results in Chinese older adults from September 2022 to November 2022: A nationwide cross-sectional study.

It was common to see that older adults were reluctant to be vaccinated for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in China. There is a lack of practical prediction models to guide COVID-19 vaccination program. A nationwide, self-reported, cross-sectional survey was conducted from September 2022 to November 2022, including people aged 60 years or older. Stratified random sampling was used to divide the dataset into derivation, validation, and test datasets at a ratio of 6:2:2. Least absolute shrinkage and selection operator and multivariable logistic regression were used for variable screening and model construction. Discrimination and calibration were assessed primarily by area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) and calibration curve. A total of 35057 samples (53.65% males and mean age of 69.64 ± 7.24 years) were finally selected, which constitutes 93.73% of the valid samples. From 33 potential predictors, 19 variables were screened and included in the multivariable logistic regression model. The mean AUC in the validation dataset was 0.802, with sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of 0.732, 0.718 and 0.729 respectively, which were similar to the parameters in the test dataset of 0.755, 0.715 and 0.720, respectively, and the mean AUC in the test dataset was 0.815. There were no significant differences between the model predicted values and the actual observed values for calibration in these groups. The prediction model based on self-reported characteristics of older adults was developed that could be useful for predicting the willingness for COVID-19 vaccines, as well as providing recommendations in improving vaccine acceptance.

Portable spirometer-based pulmonary function test willingness in China: A nationwide cross-sectional study from the "Happy Breathing Program".

BACKGROUND: Understanding willingness to undergo pulmonary function tests (PFTs) and the factors associated with poor uptake of PFTs is crucial for improving early detection and treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). This study aimed to understand willingness to undergo PFTs among high-risk populations and identify any barriers that may contribute to low uptake of PFTs. METHODS: We collected data from participants in the "Happy Breathing Program" in China. Participants who did not follow physicians' recommendations to undergo PFTs were invited to complete a survey regarding their willingness to undergo PFTs and their reasons for not undergoing PFTs. We estimated the proportion of participants who were willing to undergo PFTs and examined the various reasons for participants to not undergo PFTs. We conducted univariable and multivariable logistic regressions to analyze the impact of individual-level factors on willingness to undergo PFTs. RESULTS: A total of 8475 participants who had completed the survey on willingness to undergo PFTs were included in this study. Out of these participants, 7660 (90.4%) were willing to undergo PFTs. Among those who were willing to undergo PFTs but actually did not, the main reasons for not doing so were geographical inaccessibility ( n  = 3304, 43.1%) and a lack of trust in primary healthcare institutions ( n  = 2809, 36.7%). Among the 815 participants who were unwilling to undergo PFTs, over half ( n  = 447, 54.8%) believed that they did not have health problems and would only consider PFTs when they felt unwell. In the multivariable regression, individuals who were ≤54 years old, residing in rural townships, with a secondary educational level, with medical reimbursement, still working, with occupational exposure to dust, and aware of the abbreviation "COPD" were more willing to undergo PFTs. CONCLUSIONS: Willingness to undergo PFTs was high among high-risk populations. Policymakers may consider implementing strategies such as providing financial incentives, promoting education, and establishing community-based programs to enhance the utilization of PFTs.

Heterogeneities and impact profiles of early chronic obstructive pulmonary disease status: findings from the China Pulmonary Health Study.

Background: The prevalence, epidemiological and clinical heterogeneities, and impact profiles of individuals with preserved ratio impaired spirometry (PRISm), pre-COPD, young COPD, and mild COPD in general Chinese population were not known yet. Methods: Data were obtained from the China Pulmonary Health study (2012-2015), a nationally representative cross-sectional survey that recruited 50,991 adults aged 20 years or older. Definitions of the four early disease status were consistent with the latest publications and the Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease criteria. Findings: The age-standardised prevalences of PRISm, pre-COPD, young COPD, and mild COPD were 5.5% (95% confidence interval, 4.3-6.9), 7.2% (5.9-8.8), 1.1% (0.7-1.8), and 3.1% (2.5-3.8), respectively. In summary, mild COPD was under more direct or established impact factor exposures, such as older age, male gender, lower education level, lower family income, biomass use, air pollution, and more accumulative cigarette exposures; young COPD and pre-COPD experienced more personal and parents' events in earlier lives, such as history of bronchitis or pneumonia in childhood, frequent chronic cough in childhood, parental history of respiratory diseases, passive smoke exposure in childhood, and mother exposed to passive smoke while pregnant; pre-COPD coexisted with heavier symptoms and comorbidities burdens; young COPD exhibited worse airway obstruction; and most of the four early disease status harbored small airway dysfunction. Overall, older age, male gender, lower education level, living in the urban area, occupational exposure, frequent chronic cough in childhood, more accumulated cigarette exposure, comorbid with cardiovascular disease and gastroesophageal reflux disease were all associated with increased presence of the four early COPD status; different impact profiles were additionally observed with distinct entities. Over the four categories, less than 10% had ever taken pulmonary function test; less than 1% reported a previously diagnosed COPD; and no more than 13% had received pharmaceutical treatment. Interpretation: Significant heterogeneities in prevalence, epidemiological and clinical features, and impact profiles were noted under varied defining criteria of early COPD; a unified and validated definition for an early disease stage is warranted. Closer attention, better management, and further research need to be administrated to these population. Funding: Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences Institute of Respiratory Medicine Grant for Young Scholars (No. 2023-ZF-9); China International Medical Foundation (No. Z-2017-24-2301); Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences Innovation Fund for Medical Sciences (No. 2021-I2M-1-049); National High Level Hospital Clinical Research Funding (No. 2022-NHLHCRF-LX-01); Major Program of National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 82090011).

Associations of medication regimen complexity with medication adherence and clinical outcomes in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: a prospective study.

BACKGROUND: High medication burdens are common in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). This study aimed to explore the associations of medication regimen complexity index (MRCI) with medication adherence and clinical outcomes among patients with acute exacerbations of COPD (AECOPD) after hospital discharge. METHODS: Data were obtained from a nationwide cohort study of inpatients with AECOPD in China. MRCI scores were calculated using the medication list 30 days after discharge and separated into COPD-specific and non-COPD MRCI scores. Medication adherence was measured by the withdrawal rate of COPD or inhaled long-acting bronchodilators 6 months after discharge. Clinical outcomes included re-exacerbations and COPD-related readmissions during the 30-day to 6-month follow-up period. The associations of MRCI with medication withdrawal and clinical outcomes were evaluated using univariate and multivariate logistic regressions. Potential covariates included sociodemographic factors, year of COPD diagnosis, post-bronchodilator percentage predicted forced expiratory volume in 1 s, mMRC score, CAT score, and comorbidities. RESULTS: Among the 2853 patients included, the median total MRCI score was 7 [interquartile range (IQR), 7-13]. A high MRCI score (>7) was presented in 1316 patients (46.1%). Of the MRCI score, 91% were COPD specific. The withdrawal rates of the COPD and inhaled long-acting bronchodilators were 24.2% and 24.4%, respectively. Re-exacerbation and COPD-related readmission rates were 10.2% and 7.5%, respectively. After adjusting for covariates, patients with high total MRCI scores were less likely to discontinue COPD drugs [odds ratio (OR), 0.62; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.52-0.74] and inhaled long-acting bronchodilators (OR, 0.68; 95%CI, 0.57-0.81); conversely, these patients were more likely to experience re-exacerbation (OR, 1.64; 95% CI, 1.27-2.11) and readmission (OR, 1.57; 95% CI, 1.17-2.10). CONCLUSION: MRCI scores were relatively low among post-hospitalized patients with AECOPD in China. Higher MRCI scores were positively associated with adherence to COPD or inhaled medications, and risk of re-exacerbation and readmission. REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT02657525.