The value of T2-weighted MRI contrast ratio combined with DWI in evaluating the pathological grade of solid lung adenocarcinoma.

AIM: To assess the predictive value of T2-weighted (T2W) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in combination with diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) for determining the pathological grading of solid lung adenocarcinoma. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The clinical and imaging data from 153 cases of solid lung adenocarcinoma (82 men, 71 women, mean age 63.2 years) confirmed at histopathology in The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University from January 2017 to May 2022 were analysed retrospectively. Adenocarcinomas were classified into low-grade (G1 and G2) and high-grade (G3) groups following the 2020 pathological grading system proposed by the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer. The T2-weighted contrast ratio (T2CR), calculated as the T2 signal intensity of the lung mass/nodule divided by the T2 signal intensity of the right rhomboid muscle was utilised. Two experienced radiologists reviewed the MRI images independently, measured the T2CR, and obtained apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values. The Mann-Whitney U-test was used to compare general characteristics (sex, age, maximum diameter), T2CR, and ADC values between the low-grade and high-grade groups. The non-parametric Kruskal-Wallis test determined differences in T2CR and ADC values among the five adenocarcinoma subtypes. Receiver characteristic curve (ROC) analysis, along with area under the curve (AUC) calculation, assessed the effectiveness of each parameter in distinguishing the pathological grade of lung adenocarcinoma. A Z-test was used to compare the AUC values. RESULTS: Among the 153 patients with adenocarcinoma, 103 had low-grade adenocarcinoma, and 50 had high-grade adenocarcinoma. The agreement between T2CR and ADC observers was good (0.948 and 0.929, respectively). None of the parameters followed a normal distribution (p<0.05). The ADC value was lower in the high-grade adenocarcinoma group compared to the low-grade adenocarcinoma group (p=0.004), while the T2CR value was higher in the high-grade group (p=0.011). Statistically significant differences were observed in maximum diameter and gender between the two groups (p<0.001 and p=0.005, respectively), while no significant differences were noted in age (p=0.980). Among the five adenocarcinoma subtypes, only the lepidic and micropapillary subtypes displayed statistical differences in ADC values (p=0.047), with the remaining subtypes showing no statistical differences (p>0.05). The AUC values for distinguishing high-grade adenocarcinoma from low-grade adenocarcinoma were 0.645 for ADC and 0.627 for T2CR. Combining T2CR, ADC, sex, and maximum diameter resulted in an AUC of 0.778, sensitivity of 70%, and specificity of 75%. This combination significantly improved diagnostic efficiency compared to T2CR and ADC alone (p=0.008, z = 2.624; p=0.007, z = 2.679). CONCLUSION: The MRI quantitative parameters are useful for distinguishing the pathological grades of solid lung adenocarcinoma, offering valuable insights for precise lung cancer treatment.

Predictive value of spectral computed tomography parameters for EGFR gene mutation in non-small-cell lung cancer.

AIM: To explore the predictive value of morphological signs and quantitative parameters from spectral CT for EGFR gene mutations in intermediate and advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). MATERIALS AND METHODS: This retrospective observational study included patients with intermediate or advanced NSCLC at Xinjiang Medical University Affiliated Tumor Hospital between January 2017 and December 2019. The patients were divided into the EGFR gene mutation-positive and -negative groups. RESULTS: Seventy-nine patients aged 60.75 ± 9.66 years old were included: 32 were EGFR mutation-positive, and 47 were negative. There were significant differences in pathological stage (P<0.001), tumor diameter (P=0.019), lobulation sign, intrapulmonary metastasis, mediastinal lymph node metastasis, distant metastasis (P<0.001), bone metastasis (P<0.001), arterial phase normalized iodine concentration (NIC) (P=0.001), venous phase NIC (P=0.001), slope of the energy spectrum curve (λ) (P<0.001), and CT value at 70 keV in arterial phase (P=0.004) and venous phase (P=0.003) between the EGFR mutation-positive and -negative patients. The multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that intrapulmonary metastasis, distant metastasis, venous phase NIC, venous phase λ, and pathological stage were independent factors predicting EGFR gene mutations, with high diagnostic power (AUC = 0.975, 91.5% sensitivity, and 90.6% specificity). CONCLUSION: The pathological stage and the spectral CT parameters of intrapulmonary metastasis, distant metastasis, venous phase NIC, and venous phase λ might pre-operatively predict EGFR gene mutations in intermediate and advanced NSCLC.

Acromegaly presented with acne vulgaris: a retrospective study with 123 cases.

BACKGROUND: Acne vulgaris is a prevalent skin condition. We have found that some acromegaly patients have acne. However, no study has examined the relationship between acromegaly and acne. OBJECTIVE: To explore prevalence and correlation of adult acne in patients with acromegaly. METHODS: For this cross-sectional study, we collected questionnaires, clinical information, and laboratory test results of acromegaly patients from January 2022 to December 2022 at Huashan Hospital. Of the 133 questionnaires returned, 123 had valid responses. RESULTS: Of the 123 patients with acromegaly enrolled in this study, 54.5% had adult acne. No statistically significant difference was found in prevalence between male and female patients. 61.2% of adult acne patients reported late-onset acne. Late-onset acne patients first developed acne years before acromegaly diagnosis (mean of 5.6 years for male and 4.5 years for female patients). Some acne patients have received traditional anti-acne treatment. Moreover, 31% of the patients reported no improvement, and only 3.5% of patients claimed complete resolution of acne after treatment. Before acromegaly treatment, the prevalence of adult acne was 51.2%, with mild acne accounting for 73.0%, moderate acne accounting for 23.8%, and severe acne accounting for 3.2%. After acromegaly treatment, the prevalence of adult acne was significantly decreased to 37.4% (P = 0.007). An overall decrease in acne severity was noted, with 93.5%, 6.5%, and 0% having mild, moderate, and severe acne, respectively. A total of 83.6% of the patients had self-assessed acne remission, and 33.3% of the patients reported complete acne resolution. However, 9.0% of patients reported that their condition had worsened after acromegaly treatment. After treatment, GH, IGF-1, IGF-1 index, insulin levels, and HOMA-IR decreased significantly in all patients with acromegaly (P < 0.05). Acne remission correlated positively with IGF-1 levels, but not with GH levels. The relationship between acromegaly and acne remains to be elucidated. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings provide preliminary evidence of the high prevalence of adult acne in acromegaly patients, and a high rate of late-onset acne as well. Traditional anti-acne treatments are less effective. Acne could be considerably relieved by treating acromegaly. Acne remission positively correlated with IGF-1 decline as well, which revealed the correlation between acne and IGF-1.

Remnant cholesterol is associated with hip BMD and low bone mass in young and middle-aged men: a cross-sectional study.

PURPOSE: Remnant cholesterol (RC) is a contributor to cardiovascular diseases, obesity, diabetes, and metabolic syndrome. However, the specific relationship between RC and bone metabolism remains unexplored. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the relationships of RC with hip bone mineral density (BMD) and the risk of low bone mass. METHODS: Physical examination data was collected from men aged < 60 years as part of the Kailuan Study between 2014 and 2018. The characteristics of the participants were compared between RC quartile groups. A generalized linear regression model was used to evaluate the relationship between RC and hip BMD and a logistic regression model was used to calculate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for low bone mass. Additional analyses were performed after stratification by body mass index (BMI) (≥ or < 24 kg/m2). Sensitivity analyses were performed by excluding individuals who were taking lipid-lowering therapy or had cancer, cardiovascular diseases, or diabetes. RESULTS: Data from a total of 7,053 participants were included in the analysis. After adjustment for confounding factors, RC negatively correlated with hip BMD (ß = - 0.0079, 95% CI: - 0.0133, - 0.0025). The risk of low bone mass increased from the lowest to the highest RC quartile, with ORs of 1 (reference), 1.09 (95% CI: (0.82, 1.44), 1.35 (95%CI: 1.02, 1.77), and 1.43 (95% CI: 1.09, 1.89) for Q1, Q2, Q3, and Q4, respectively (P for trend = 0.004) in the fully adjusted model. Compared to RC < 0.80 mmol/l group, the risk of low bone mass increased 39% in RC ≥ 0.80 mmol/l group (P < 0.001). The correlation between RC and hip BMD was stronger in participants with BMI ≥ 24 kg/m2 group (ß = - 0.0159, 95% CI: - 0.0289, - 0.0029). The results of sensitivity analyses were consistent with the main results. CONCLUSION: We have identified a negative correlation between serum RC and hip BMD, and a higher RC concentration was found to be associated with a greater risk of low bone mass in young and middle-aged men.

[Analysis of a family with 11ß-hydroxylase deficiency due to a mutation in the CYP11B1 gene].

This study reports a family of patients with 11ß-hydroxylase deficiency (11ß-OHD) caused by a novel mutation in the CYP11B1 gene, and analyzes its clinical and genetic characteristics. The clinical data of a patient with intractable hypertension at Air Force Medical Center on May 16, 2014 were retrospectively analyzed. The patient was clinically diagnosed with congenital adrenal cortical hyperplasia. The clinical data of the patient were further collected and the peripheral blood samples of the patient, his parents and his sister were collected for CYP11B1(NM_000497) gene sequencing, suggesting that the patient had compound heterozygous mutations in exon 1:c.199delG, p.Glu67Lysfs*9 and exon 5:c.905_907 delATGinsTT, p.Asp302Valfs*23, both of which were pathogenic variants. The patient's father and sister carried heterozygous mutations in exon 1:c.199delG, p.Glu67Lysfs*9, and the mother carried heterozygous mutations in exon 5:c.905_907delATGinsTT, p.Asp302Valfs*23. This study is the first to report a new compound heterozygous mutation in exon 1:c.199delG and exon 5 c.905_907 delATGinsTT of CYP11B1 gene, enriching the database of 11ß-OHD mutations and providing information to further understand the genetic mechanism of the disease.

[Arterial spin labeling in assessment of interstitial fibrosis in renal allografts].

Objective: To explore the feasibility and application value of arterial spin labeling (ASL) in evaluating the degree of renal fibrosis after kidney transplantation. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study. Renal transplant recipients who received treatment at the First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University from December 2021 to December 2022 were enrolled. All participants underwent ASL scan, and the values of renal cortical renal blood flow (RBF) were measured through post-processing software. The participants were divided into different groups according to the Banff interstitial fibrosis score (ci score) of the transplanted kidneys, and then relevant indicators were compared. One-way analysis of variance was conducted to compare the differences in renal cortical RBF among the groups. Spearman correlation analysis was employed to investigate the association between renal cortical RBF and ci score of the transplanted kidney. Receiver operating characteristic curve was used to analyze the diagnostic effectiveness of renal cortical RBF and laboratory indicators for distinguishing varying degrees of fibrosis in transplanted kidneys. The Delong test was utilized to compare the area under the curve (AUC). Results: A total of 60 patients (42 males and 18 females) were included in the study, with a mean age of (44.6±10.8) years. All patients were divided into 4 groups: ci0 group (ci score=0, 11 cases), ci1 group (ci score=1, 21 cases), ci2 group (ci score=2, 20 cases), and ci3 group (ci score=3, 8 cases). With an increase in the degree of fibrosis in the transplanted kidney, there was a corresponding decrease in the renal cortical RBF value. The differences in renal cortical RBF values among the 4 groups were statistically significant[ci0 group: (214.9±28.5) ml·(100 g)-1·min-1; ci1 group: (181.7±29.3) ml·(100 g)-1·min-1; ci2 group: (158.8±39.2) ml·(100 g)-1·min-1; ci3 group: (123.1±27.2) ml·(100 g)-1·min-1; F=14.02, P<0.001]. The renal cortical RBF was moderately negatively correlated with the ci score (r=-0.644, P<0.001). The AUC for discriminating between ci0 and ci1-3 of renal cortical RBF and 24-hour urine protein was 0.881 (95%CI: 0.772-0.950) and 0.680 (95%CI: 0.547-0.795), respectively. The AUC for renal cortical RBF was significantly higher than that for 24-hour urine protein (P=0.047). The renal cortical RBF can distinguish between ci0-1 and ci2-3, as well as ci0-2 and ci3, with the corresponding AUC value of 0.796 (95%CI: 0.673-0.889) and 0.900 (95%CI: 0.795-0.963), respectively. Conclusion: ASL can quantitatively assess renal blood perfusion in transplanted kidneys and demonstrates high operational efficacy in distinguishing varying degrees of fibrosis in the transplanted kidneys.

[Research progress on the characteristics of gut microbiome in early life and its influence on atopic march].

Allergic diseases are affected by both genetic background and environmental factors.In recent years, many studies have shown that allergic diseases are closely related to the gut microbiome.This article will elaborate on the composition of gut microbiome in early life and its relationship with allergies, the mechanism of action, and the influence of gut microbiome colonization on the atopic march, in order to improve the understanding of the relationship between allergy prevention or treatment and gut microbiome in children, and provide new ideas for the early prevention of allergic diseases and the early intervention of allergic processes.

[Knowledge, attitude and practices of adult vaccine among the staff of vaccination units in Shandong Province].

In order to understand the knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) of vaccination against influenza, pneumonia, human papillomavirus (HPV), herpes zoster (HZ), COVID-19, and hepatitis B among staff of vaccination units in Shandong Province, a sample survey was conducted among 797 staffs of adult vaccination units in 12 counties (cities and districts) of Shandong Province from August to September 2022. The results showed that the respondents had the highest total score of knowledge and attitude for the COVID-19 vaccine, with the M (Q1, Q3) of 23 (20, 25) and 10 (10, 10), respectively, and had the lowest score of knowledge and attitude for the herpes zoster vaccine, with the M (Q1, Q3) of 19 (15, 22) and 8 (8, 10), respectively. The vaccine-related knowledge point"vaccine applicable population"had the highest score, with the M (Q1,Q3) of 26 (23, 30). The "contraindications/adverse reactions" and "adverse reaction management" had the lowest score, with the M (Q1, Q3) of 24 (20, 29) and 24 (20, 28), respectively. About 89.71% of respondents received one adult vaccine within two years at least. The principal driver for vaccination of 53.58% of recipients was their understanding of vaccines, which was"it was necessary to receive the vaccine". About 66.00% of respondents who had not received any adult vaccine in the past two years had insufficient awareness of the necessity of vaccination and believed that they were in good health and did not need to receive it. In summary, the staff of adult vaccination units in Shandong Province have a poor understanding of the herpes zoster vaccine in terms of vaccines and a relatively poor understanding of"contraindications/adverse reaction and management"in adult vaccination knowledge points.

[Pay attention to the diagnosis and treatment of "easily neglected" complications in liver cirrhosis].

Managing cirrhosis complications is an important measure for improving patients' clinical outcomes. Therefore, in order to provide a complete disease assessment and comprehensive treatment, improve quality of life, and improve the prognosis for patients with cirrhosis, it is necessary to pay attention to complications such as thrombocytopenia and portal vein thrombosis in addition to common or severe complications such as ascites, esophagogastric variceal bleeding, hepatic encephalopathy, and hepatorenal syndrome. The relevant concept that an effective albumin concentration is more helpful in predicting the cirrhosis outcome is gradually being accepted; however, the detection method still needs further standardization and commercialization.

[An analysis of related factors in thrombocytopenia combined with cirrhosis: a cross-sectional study of 2 517 cases].

Objective: To explore the related factors of thrombocytopenia (TCP) occurrence in patients with cirrhosis. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted. Inpatients with an initial diagnosis of cirrhosis at Peking University First Hospital from January 1, 2010 to December 31, 2020 were included. Clinical data such as demographic characteristics, etiology of cirrhosis, complications of cirrhosis, laboratory indicators, Child-Pugh grade, invasive procedures, and mortality during hospitalization were collected. A logistic regression model was used to explore the related factors of TCP occurrence in patients with cirrhosis. Categorical variables were compared by the χ(2) test. The inter-group comparison was performed using continuous variables, a t-test, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), or a nonparametric test. Results: There were a total of 2 592 cases of cirrhosis. 75 cases with incomplete clinical data were excluded. 2 517 cases were included for analysis. The median age was 58 (50, 67) years. Males accounted for 64%. 1 435 cases (57.0%) developed TCP, and 434 cases (17.2%) had grade 3-4 TCP. Gender, primary biliary cholangitis (PBC), primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC), and concomitant esophagogastric varices (EGV) were the major factors associated with TCP. Females were more prone to combine with TCP (OR=1.32, 95%CI: 1.12-1.56, P=0.001). Patients combined with EGV (OR=3.09, 95%CI: 2.63-3.65, P<0.001) were more prone to develop TCP, which was associated with the increased incidence of hypersplenism (P<0.001). Patients with PBC (OR=0.64, 95%CI: 0.50-0.82, P<0.001) and PSC (OR=0.23, 95%CI: 0.06-0.65, P=0.010) were less prone to develop TCP, which was due to the shorter prothrombin time and better coagulation function of PBC patients (P<0.001), and the lower proportion of hypersplenism in combined PSC patients (P=0.004). Patients with TCP and grade 3-4 TCP had a higher rate of hemostatic procedures (P<0.05), but a lower rate of liver biopsy (P<0.05). Patients with grade 3-4 TCP had a higher nosocomial mortality rate compared to those without (P=0.004). Conclusion: TCP is common in patients with cirrhosis. However, TCP occurrence is higher in female patients with EGV and lower in patients combined with PBC and PSC. TCP affects invasive procedures and is associated with adverse outcomes.

[Long-term efficacy of balloon-assisted endplate augmentation combined with transforaminal pedicle screw fixation in the treatment of thoracolumbar burst fractures].

Objectives: To investigate the long-term efficacy of balloon assisted endplate reduction with vertebral augmentation combined with pedicle screw fixation in the treatment of thoracolumbar burst fractures, and to compare the clinical efficacy of calcium sulfate cement (CSC) and calcium phosphate cement(CPC). Methods: This study is a retrospective cohort study.The clinical data of 39 patients with thoracolumbar burst fractures admitted to Hefei Hospital Affiliated to Anhui Medical University from November 2013 to December 2017 were retrospectively analyzed.All patients were treated with pedicle screw reduction and fixation of the injured vertebra,balloon-assisted reduction of the collapsed endplate of the injured vertebra,and artificial bone vertebral body augmentation,and the follow-up time was >5 years.There were 24 males and 15 females,aged (42.9±13.3) years (range: 29 to 56 years).According to the Frankel spinal nerve dysfunction grading standard, there were 4 cases of grade C, 7 cases of grade D and 28 cases of grade E. There were 21 cases of CSC augmentation(CSC group) and 18 cases of CPC augmentation (CPC group). X-ray and CT were performed at 1 week, 1-, 2-, 5-year after surgery and at the last follow-up, and the imaging indicators were measured, including the injured vertebra anterior edge height ratio,the injured vertebra middle height ratio,the injured vertebra wedge angle,and the sagittal plane Cobb angle. The pain visual analogue scale (VAS) and the Oswestry disability index (ODI) was used for functional evaluation, nervous function was evaluated according to the Frankel spinal nerve dysfunction grading standard.Independent sample t test was used for inter-group comparison, and paired sample t test and repeated measure ANOVA were used for intra-group comparison. Results: All operative procedures were successfully completed, no spinal nerve function damage occurred. The postoperative imaging indexes of the patients were significantly improved compared with those before surgery (all P<0.01). The follow-up time of patients was (6.7±2.8)years (range: 5 to 9 years). Among the 11 patients with symptoms of neurological impairment before surgery, 9 patients completely recovered at the last follow-up, and 2 patients recovered from Frankel grade C to D. There were no significant differences in imaging indexes between the first week after surgery and the last follow-up in the CPC group (all P>0.05), while there were significant differences in imaging indexes between the CSC group and the last follow-up (all P<0.05). CPC group was superior to CSC group in frontal height ratio, middle height ratio, wedge angle variation and sagittal Cobb angle correction loss at 2 year, 5 year after surgery and the last follow-up, with statistical significance (all P<0.05). At the last follow-up, there were no differences in VAS and ODI between the two groups (all P>0.05). After absorption of CSC in the filling area, a hardened zone was formed around the area, and the central cavity remained without bone tissue filling. CPC absorption was very slow, and the CPC group was still filled satisfactorily at the last follow-up. Conclusions: Balloon assisted endplate reduction and vertebral augmentation combined with pedicle screw fixation through the injured vertebra have good long-term efficacy in the treatment of thoracolumbar burst fractures. Compared with CSC, CPC vertebral augmentation can better maintain the shape and spinal sequence of the injured vertebra in the long term, and can effectively reduce the collapse of the space above the injured vertebra.

[Analysis of influencing factors of recurrence after en bloc spondylectomy of spinal tumors].

Objectives: To investigate the survival and tumor recurrence after en bloc spondylectomy of spinal tumor and analyze the risk factors of postoperative tumor recurrence. Methods: This is a retrospective case series study. Data of 101 patients undergoing en bloc spondylectomy of spinal tumors in the Musculoskeletal Tumor Center, Peking University People's Hospital from December 2006 to 2006 to June 2022 were analyzed. There were 58 males and 43 females, aged (38.2±15.8) years (range: 10 to 79 years) at the time of surgery; the follow-up time was(44.0±36.0) months (range: 12 to 171 months).Among them, there were 25 relapsed patients, with 7 females and 18 males; aged (34.8±16.3) years (range: 12 to 66 years) at the time of surgery. The types of tumors included 5 giant cell tumors of bone, 6 osteosarcoma, 1 chordoma, 5 chondrosarcoma, 1 undifferentiated sarcoma, 1 fibrosarcoma, 2 Ewing sarcoma, 3 metastases and 1 malignant giant cell tumor of bone. Survival analysis of overall and relapsed patients were performed using the Kaplan-Meier curves. A segmented regression model was used to fit the sequence of recurrence rate changes over time since admission and identify change points for further analysis on risk factors. Univariate and multivariate Logistic regression analysis were performed to assess risk factors associated with recurrence rate; results from multivariate regression analysis are presented using a forest plot. Results The tumor recurrence rate after en bloc spondylectomy was 24.8% (25/101).The overall median recurrence-free survival after en bloc spondylectomy was 161 months (95%CI: 92 months to NA).The median recurrence-free survival of recurrent patients was 13 months (95%CI: 12 to 27 months).Regarding the classification based on tumor malignancy, and relapse-free survival of metastatic tumors was significantly shorter (P=0.007); and among the surgical margin groups, relapse-free survival of R0 group was significantly better than the R1 and R2 groups (P<0.01). According to the segmented regression model, the tumor recurrence rate for en bloc spondylectomy showed a significant downward trend over time, with relatively higher recurrence rates before 2009 and a relatively stable trend after 2014. The results of univariate analysis showed that surgical margin and time of admission were the influencing factors of patient recurrence. The results of multivariate analysis showed that the R1 boundary(OR=13.453,95%CI:2.897 to 97.941,P=0.002) and R2 boundary(OR=11.379,95%CI:2.658 to 79.429,P=0.003) were independent influencing factor affecting patient recurrence. Conclusions The overall tumor recurrence rate after en bloc spondylectomy was high. The surgical margin of tumor resection is an independent risk factor affecting tumor recurrence. Specifically, R2 and R1 resections significantly increase the risk of tumor recurrence.

[Evaluation of the anatomical morphology of the adrenal veins in patients with primary aldosteronism by adrenal venous sampling].

Objective: To analyze the anatomical characteristics of the adrenal veins through adrenal venography to improve the success rate of adrenal venography (AVS). Methods: This study was a cross-sectional study. Patients who were diagnosed with primary aldosteronism and underwent AVS from January 2019 to October 2023 at the First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University were included. Adrenal vein imaging was collected from the enrolled patients. We performed statistical analysis on the adrenal vein orifice position, inflow angle, and adrenal venography morphology. The adrenal venous orifice was defined as the location where the catheter was placed at the end of the calm inhalation. Spearman correlation analysis was used to explore the relationship between the positions of bilateral adrenal vein orifices and body mass index (BMI). Results: A total of 282 patients with successful bilateral AVS and complete bilateral adrenal vein imaging were enrolled, of whom 57.1% (161/282) were male and the age was (53.3±10.7) years old. The orifice of the left adrenal vein was located between the middle segment of the 11th thoracic vertebra and the upper segment of the 2nd lumbar vertebra. The inflow angle relative to the position of the orifice was all leftward and upward. The orifice of the right adrenal vein was located between the upper segment of the 11th thoracic vertebra and the lower segment of the 1st lumbar vertebra, and 91.1% (257/282) had a rightward and downward angle of inflow relative to the position of the orifice. The position of the adrenal vein orifices on both the left (r=0.211, P<0.001) and right (r=0.196, P=0.001) showed positive correlation with BMI. The position of the right adrenal vein orifice also increased with the position of the left adrenal orifice (r=0.530, P<0.001). The most common adrenal venography morphology on the right side was triangular (36.5%, 103/282), while the most common venography morphology on the left side was glandular (66.3%, 187/282). Conclusions: The anatomical morphology of adrenal veins are diverse. Being familiar with the morphological characteristics of the adrenal vein and identifying the adrenal vein accurately during surgery has important clinical value in improving the success rate of AVS.

[Investigation and analysis on knowledge, attitude and behavior about adult vaccination of the residents in Shandong Province].

Objective: To understand the knowledge, attitude and behavior of adult residents on influenza, pneumococcus, human papillomavirus (HPV), herpes zoster (HZ), COVID-19, hepatitis B and rabies vaccination in Shandong Province. Methods: From August to September 2022, a multi-stage stratified random sampling method was used to investigate community-dwelling residents aged 18 years old and above in 12 counties (cities and districts) of Shandong Province. A questionnaire survey was used to collect the basic information of the respondents, such as knowledge, attitude and vaccination behavior of influenza, pneumococcus, HPV, HZ, COVID-19, hepatitis B and rabies vaccine. Analysis of variance was used to compare the differences in the respondents' knowledge and attitude scores of different vaccines. The Chi-square test was conducted to compare the differences in vaccination reasons among different characteristics, and a logistic regression model was used to analyze the influencing factors of vaccination behavior. Results: The median age (Q1, Q3) of the 2 754 respondents was 39 (29, 57) years ranging from 18 to 94 years, with a number of 1 234 (44.81%) males. The average score of the respondents' understanding of various knowledge about adult vaccines was less than 4 points, with the highest score for understanding which diseases can be prevented by adult vaccines. The average score of consent and necessity for adult vaccines to prevent diseases was greater than 3.6 points. In terms of knowledge demand and trust in information channels, there was a high level of trust in the recommendations of vaccination outpatient staff and clinical doctors [with scores of (4.15±0.79) and (4.02±0.80), respectively]. The highest demand for information on vaccination safety knowledge was (4.18±0.84) points. In recent two years, 52.11% of the population had been vaccinated with other vaccines in addition to the COVID-19 vaccine and rabies vaccine, and 45.44% of the population felt it was necessary to be vaccinated through media publicity. Women, age growth, high education level, and high-income level were the promoting factors for adopting vaccination behavior. Conclusion: Adult residents in Shandong Province have a basic understanding and supportive attitude towards vaccination, but the vaccination behavior rate is still relatively low, with significant differences in sex, age, education level, and income level. It is necessary to further increase efforts in the breadth and depth of adult vaccination promotion and education, as well as promotion strategies targeting different populations.

[Investigation and analysis on the establishment and operation of adult vaccination clinics in Shandong Province].

Objective: To understand the setting of adult vaccination clinics and the situation of adult vaccination in Shandong province, and provide the date basis for the construction and development of adult vaccination clinics in Shandong province. Methods: Multi-stage stratified cluster random sampling was used to survey the settings, personnel allocation, operation status, and adult vaccination status of child-adult vaccination clinics and adult vaccination clinics. A random sampling survey was conducted for hydrophobia vaccination clinics in 12 counties (cities, districts) of Shandong province. The settings and vaccination status of different types of adult vaccination clinics were compared and analyzed using analysis of variance or χ2-test. Results: Among the investigated counties (cities, districts), the child-adult vaccination clinics, the adult vaccination clinics, and the hydrophobia vaccination clinics accounted for 59.51%, 7.97% and 32.52%, respectively. The construction model could be divided into three models: child-adult vaccination clinic model, child-adult and hydrophobia vaccination clinic model, child-adult, adult and hydrophobia vaccination clinic model. The child-adult vaccination clinics had been set up for a long time (≥3 years accounted for 94.33%) and were set up by public primary medical institutions (public institutions accounted for 93.81% and primary institutions accounted for 92.78%). Each vaccination clinic was equipped with full-time and part-time staff of (3.19±3.01) and (3.72±4.32). The adult vaccination clinics had been set up for a short time (≥3 years accounted for 94.33%) and were set up by public/private primary/secondary medical institutions in urban areas (urban areas accounted for 100%, primary institutions accounted for 69.23%, and private institutions accounted for 57.69%). Each vaccination clinic was equipped with full-time and part-time staff of (2.46±2.87) and (3.08±3.53). The coverage of influenza vaccine (InfV), human papillomavirus vaccine (HPV) and hepatitis B vaccine (Hep B) reached 100%, 98.45% and 97.42% in children-adult vaccination clinics, and 88.46%, 84.62% and 73.08% in adult vaccination clinics, respectively. The hydrophobia vaccination clinics only provided rabies vaccine for human use (RabV) and tetanus vaccine (TV) vaccination simultaneously. A total of 819.8 thousand doses of adult vaccines were administered in 2021. The adult inoculation doses of RabV, lnfV and HPV accounted for 42.60%, 27.47% and 17.54% of the total inoculation doses, respectively. The inoculation doses of InfV, HPV and RabV accounted for 49.33%, 21.97% and 13.80% of child-adult vaccination clinics, respectively. The inoculation doses of HPV, HepB and RabV accounted for 49.36%, 15.40% and 14.71% of adult vaccination clinics, respectively. The proportion of RabV reached 94.44% in the hydrophobia vaccination clinics alone. Conclusion: Adult vaccination is at the initial stage in Shandong province. The children's vaccination clinic is mainly responsible for adult vaccination. The variety of adult vaccines is relatively concentrated, and the adult vaccination rate is lower. The construction and publicity of adult vaccination should be further strengthened.

[Analysis of adult vaccination in Shandong Province from 2018 to 2022].

Objective: To analyze the utilization of adult vaccination among people aged 18 and above in Shandong Province from 2018 to 2022. Methods: Data on vaccination units in 2022 and individual cases of vaccination information for people aged 18 and above were extracted from the Shandong Immunization Information System. A descriptive analysis was conducted on the distribution of adult vaccination units and adult vaccination varieties. The total vaccination amount and vaccination rate were calculated. Results: By the end of 2022, there were 3 948 vaccination units providing adult vaccination in Shandong Province, with 0.36 adult vaccination clinics per 10 000 people. Adult vaccination including RabV(rabies vaccine for human use), InfV(influenza vaccine), HPV(human papillomavirus), HepB(hepatitis B vaccine), PPV23(23-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine), MenACYW135(meningococcal polysaccharide vaccine group ACYW135), MMR(measles, mumps and rubella combined attenuated live vaccine), HEV(hepatitise E vaccine), RZV(recombinant zoster vaccine), TV(tetanus vaccine) and HF(haemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome vaccine) vaccines were administered, with a cumulative dose of 40.056 9 million and an average of 0.1 doses per person per year from 2018 to 2022. The top three vaccines were RabV, InfV and HPV, accounting for 31.48%, 22.57%, and 15.93% of the total vaccination amount, respectively. The annual vaccination dose for adults increased from 3.477 3 million in 2018 to 13.308 6 million in 2022, with an average annual growth rate of 56.55%. The cumulative 5-year doses of RabV and TV were 15.90 doses per 100 people and 0.21 doses per 100 people. The average annual vaccination rate of InfV was 2.28%. The cumulative full vaccination rates of HPV, HepB, PPV23 and RZV were 12.44%, 1.61%, 0.52% and 0.17%, respectively. The cumulative 5-year doses of RabV and TV were 29.19 doses per 100 people and 0.43 doses per 100 people in the age group of 20 to<30 years old. The vaccination rates of InfV and PPV23 were 9.08% and 1.27% in the age group of 70 to<80 years old. The vaccination rate of RZV was 0.11% in the age group of 50 to<60 years old. The HPV vaccination rate was 18.09% in the age group of 20 to<30 years old, and the HepB, MenACYW135, MMR and HEV vaccination rates were 6.21%, 9.55%, 2.65%, and 2.83% in the 18-19 age group, respectively. Conclusion: There are relatively few types of adult vaccination in Shandong Province, with narrow coverage and low vaccination rates.

[Feasibility analysis of adult vaccination in children's vaccination clinic in Shandong Province].

Objective: To investigate the operation of children's vaccination clinics in Shandong Province, simulate the efficiency of vaccination capacity utilization, and explore the feasibility of carrying out adult vaccination in children's vaccination clinics. Methods: Using the extreme hypothesis method to determine the maximum vaccination capacity of children's vaccination clinics. Based on on-site surveys, population, and vaccination rate data, simulation parameters were determined, and the simulation method was used to simulate the utilization efficiency of vaccination capacity in different scenarios of children's vaccination clinics. Results: There were 2 654 children's vaccination clinics by the end of 2021 in Shandong province. There was (6.93±4.02) staff per vaccination clinic, with an average opening day of (4.16±2.19) days per week. In the scenario of only vaccinating children, the utilization efficiency of vaccination capacity during the non-influenza vaccination season was only 30.74% and 14.07% in urban and rural vaccination clinics, respectively. During the influenza vaccination season, the utilization efficiency of the vaccination capacity of urban vaccination clinics reached 49.26% when the child influenza vaccination rate reached 20%. In the scenario of simultaneous vaccination of children and adults, the utilization efficiency of vaccination capacity during the non-influenza vaccination season was 41.48% and 18.52% in urban and rural vaccination clinics, respectively. During the influenza vaccination season, the utilization efficiency of vaccination capacity in urban vaccination clinics reached 51.47% when the influenza vaccination rate of the entire population reached 3%. The utilization efficiency of vaccination capacity in rural vaccination clinics reached 52.44% when the influenza vaccination rate of the entire population reached 20%. Conclusion: The accessibility of children's vaccination is good in Shandong province, and the utilization efficiency of vaccination capacity can meet the current vaccination needs of children and adults. The vaccination capacity in urban areas needs to be strengthened to meet the growing vaccination needs of children and adults in the future.

Causal role of gut microbiota in intracranial aneurysm: evidence from a Mendelian randomization study.

OBJECTIVE: An increasing number of studies suggest that the alteration of gut microbiota may affect the pathogenesis of intracranial aneurysm (IA). However, the exact causal relationship between gut microbiota and IA has not been confirmed. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The instrumental variables (IVs) for gut microbiota were obtained from a meta-analysis of a genome-wide association study (GWAS) conducted by the MiBioGen consortium (n = 13,266). The summary of GWAS data for IA was obtained from a large genome-wide meta-analysis involving 23 cohorts. Five Mendelian randomization (MR) methods were used to investigate the causal relationship between gut microbiota and IA (ruptured and unruptured), unruptured intracranial aneurysm only (uIA), and aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH) respectively, with inverse variance weighted (IVW) as the main MR method. All MR results were verified through sensitive analyses. RESULTS: Based on the results of the IVW analyses, it was found that five gut microbiota taxa were causally associated with IA (ruptured and unruptured), seven gut microbiota taxa were causally associated with uIA, and six gut microbiota taxa were causally associated with aSAH. Among these taxa, the genus Bilophila was the only one identified to have significant protective effects against IA (ruptured and unruptured), uIA, and aSAH. The sensitivity analysis did not reveal any significant heterogeneity or horizontal pleiotropy among the included IVs. CONCLUSIONS: MR analyses identified several gut microbiota taxa that have a causal relationship with IA. Future research should prioritize understanding the mechanisms underlying this causal relationship, as it is expected to contribute to the development of new methods for predicting and treating IA.

Ginger Extract and Omega-3 Fatty Acids Supplementation: A Promising Strategy to Improve Diabetic Cardiomyopathy.

Diabetic cardiomyopathy may result from the overproduction of ROS, TRPM2 and TRPV2. Moreover, the therapeutic role of ginger, omega-3 fatty acids, and their combinations on the expression of TRPM2 and TRPV2 and their relationship with apoptosis, inflammation, and oxidative damage in heart tissue of rats with type 2 diabetes have not yet been determined. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the therapeutic effects of ginger and omega-3 fatty acids on diabetic cardiomyopathy by evaluating the cardiac gene expression of TRPM2 and TRPV2, oxidative damage, inflammation, and apoptosis in male rats. Ninety adult male Wistar rats were equally divided into nine control, diabetes, and treated diabetes groups. Ginger extract (100 mg/kg) and omega-3 fatty acids (50, 100, and 150 mg/kg) were orally administrated in diabetic rats for 6 weeks. Type 2 diabetes was induced by feeding a high-fat diet and a single dose of STZ (40 mg/kg). Glucose, cardiac troponin I (cTnI), lipid profile, insulin in serum, and TNF-alpha IL-6, SOD, MDA, and CAT in the left ventricle of the heart were measured. The cardiac expression of TRPM2, TRPV2, NF-kappaB, Bcl2, Bax, Cas-3, and Nrf-2 genes was also measured in the left ventricle of the heart. An electrocardiogram (ECG) was continuously recorded to monitor arrhythmia at the end of the course. The serum levels of cTnI, glucose, insulin, and lipid profile, and the cardiac levels of MDA, IL-6, and TNF-alpha increased in the diabetic group compared to the control group (p<0.05). Moreover, the cardiac levels of SOD and CAT decreased in the diabetic group compared to the control group (p<0.05). The cardiac expression of TRPM2, TRPV2, NF-kappaB, Bax, and Cas-3 increased and Bcl2 and Nrf-2 expression decreased in the diabetic group compared to the control group (p<0.05). However, simultaneous and separate treatment with ginger extract and omega-3 fatty acids (50, 100, and 150 mg/kg) could significantly moderate these changes (p<0.05). The results also showed that the simultaneous treatment of ginger extract and different doses of omega-3 fatty acids have improved therapeutic effects than their individual treatments (p<0.05). It can be concluded that ginger and omega-3 fatty acids showed protective effects against diabetic cardiomyopathy by inhibiting inflammation, apoptosis and oxidative damage of the heart and reducing blood glucose and cardiac expression of TRPM2 and TRPV2. Combining ginger and omega-3 in the diet may provide a natural approach to reducing the risk or progression of diabetic cardiomyopathy while preserving heart structure and function.