[Prognostic value of the Second Revision of the International Staging System in patients with newly diagnosed transplant-eligible multiple myeloma].

Objective: To verify the predictive value of the Second Revision of the International Staging System (R2-ISS) in newly diagnosed patients with multiple myeloma (MM) who underwent first-line autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (ASCT) in a new drug era in China. Methods: This multicenter retrospective cohort study enrolled patients with newly diagnosed MM from three centers in China (Beijing Chao-Yang Hospital, Capital Medical University; the First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, and the Second Affiliated Hospital of Naval Medical University) from June 2008 to June 2018. A total of 401 newly diagnosed patients with MM who were candidates for ASCT were enrolled in this cohort, all received proteasome inhibitor and/or immunomodulator-based induction chemotherapy followed by ASCT. Baseline and follow-up data were collected. The patients were regrouped using R2-ISS. Progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were analyzed. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to analyze the survival curve and two survival curves were compared using the log-rank test. Cox regression analysis were performed to analyze the relationship between risk factors and survival. Results: The median age of the patients was 53 years (range 25-69 years) and 59.5% (240 cases) were men. Newly diagnosed patients with renal impairment accounted for 11.5% (46 cases). According to Revised-International Staging System (R-ISS), 74 patients (18.5 %) were diagnosed with stage Ⅰ, 259 patients (64.6%) with stage Ⅱ, and 68 patients (17.0%) with stage Ⅲ. According to the R2-ISS, the distribution of patients in each group was as follows: 50 patients (12.5%) in stage Ⅰ, 95 patients (23.7%) in stage Ⅱ, 206 patients (51.4%) in stage Ⅲ, and 50 patients (12.5%) in stage Ⅳ. The median follow-up time was 35.9 months (range, 6-119 months). According to the R2-ISS stage, the median PFS in each group was: 75.3 months for stage Ⅰ; 62.0 months for stage Ⅱ, 39.2 months for stage Ⅲ, and 30.3 months for stage Ⅳ; and the median OS was not reached, 86.6 months, 71.6 months, and 38.5 months, respectively. There were statistically significant differences in PFS and OS between different groups (both P<0.001). Multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that stages Ⅲ and Ⅳ of the R2-ISS were independent prognostic factors for PFS (HR=2.37, 95%CI 1.30-4.30; HR=4.50, 95%CI 2.35-9.01) and OS (HR=4.20, 95%CI 1.50-11.80; HR=9.53, 95%CI 3.21-28.29). Conclusions: The R2-ISS has significant predictive value for PFS and OS for transplant-eligible patients with MM in the new drug era. However, the universality of the R2-ISS still needs to be further verified in different populations.

[Clinical features and related factors of invasive pulmonary aspergillosis in patients with acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease].

Objective: To study the clinical features and related factors of invasive pulmonary aspergillosis (IPA) in patients with acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD). Methods: This retrospective study enrolled patients hospitalized for AECOPD in ten tertiary hospitals of China from September 2017 to July 2021. AECOPD patients with IPA were included as case group, AECOPD patients without IPA were randomly selected as control group from the same hospitals and same hospitalization period as the patients with IPA using the random function in the software of Microsoft Excel 2003, at a ratio of 2∶1. The clinical characteristics, treatment and outcome were compared between the two groups. Binary logistic regression model was used to analyze the factors associated with IPA in AECOPD patients. Results: A total of 14 007 inpatients with AECOPD were included in this study, and 300 patients were confirmed to have IPA, with an incidence rate of 2.14%. According to the above matching method, 600 AECOPD patients without aspergillus infection were enrolled as the control group. The age of the case group and the control group were (72.5±9.7) and (73.5±10.3) years old, with 78.0%(n=234) male and 76.8%(n=461) male, respectively. There were no significant differences in age and gender composition between the two groups (all P>0.05). The prognosis of case group was significantly worse than that of the control group, with longer hospital stay [M(Q1,Q3)], [14 (10-20) d vs 11 (8-15) d, P<0.001], higher ICU admission rate [16.3% (49 case) vs 10.0% (60 case), P=0.006], higher in-hospital mortality [4.0% (12 cases) vs 1.3% (8 cases), P=0.011], and higher hospitalization costs (28 000 ¥ vs 13 700 ¥, P<0.001). The smoking index of the case group and proportions of patients with diabetes mellitus, chronic pulmonary heart disease in the case group were significantly higher than those in control group (all P<0.05). In terms of clinical features, the proportions of patients with cough, expectoration, purulent sputum, hemoptysis and fever in the case group were higher than those in the control group, the serum albumin was significantly lower than that in the control group, and the proportions of patients with bronchiectasis and pulmonary bullae on imaging were significantly higher than those in the control group (all P<0.05). Diabetes (OR=1.559, 95%CI: 1.084-2.243), chronic pulmonary heart disease (OR=1.476, 95%CI: 1.075-2.028), bronchiectasis (OR=1.506, 95%CI: 1.092-2.078), pulmonary bullae (OR=1.988, 95%CI: 1.475-2.678) and serum albumin<35 g/L (OR=1.786, 95%CI: 1.325-2.406) were the related factors of IPA in patients with AECOPD. Conclusions: The incidence of IPA in AECOPD patients is relatively high and the prognosis of these patients is worse. Diabetes, chronic pulmonary heart disease, bronchiectasis, pulmonary bulla, hypoproteinemia are the related factors of IPA in patients with AECOPD.

[Study on related factors and characteristics of multimorbidity of overweight and obesity-related diseases in children in Hunan Province].

From January 2019 to December 2021, overweight and obese children who visited in health outpatient Center of Hunan Children's Hospital were studied to explore and analyze the rate, related factors and patterns of multimorbidity of overweight and obesity-related diseases in children in Hunan Province. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression models were used to analyze the multimorbidity-related factors of overweight and obesity-related diseases in children. Association rules (apriori algorithm) were used to explore the multimorbidity patterns of overweight and obesity-related diseases in children. A total of 725 overweight and obese children were included in this study. The multimorbidity rate of overweight and obesity-related diseases in children was 46.07% (334/725). Age, waist circumference, the frequency of food consumption such as hamburgers and fries and adding meals before bedtime were multimorbidity-related factors of overweight and obesity-related diseases in children. The multimorbidity associated with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) was relatively common. The patterns with the top three support degrees were "NAFLD+dyslipidemia","NAFLD+hypertension" and "NAFLD+hyperuricemia". The patterns with the top three confidence and elevation degrees were "Hypertension+dyslipidemia => NAFLD","Hyperuricemia => NAFLD" and "NAFLD+hypertension => dyslipidemia".

[The prognostic relationship between CD56 expression and newly diagnosed multiple myeloma].

Objective: To evaluate the prognostic value of CD56 expression in newly diagnosed MM (NDMM). Methods: A total of 332 NDMM patients were enrolled in Beijing Chaoyang Hospital, Capital Medical University from January 1, 2011 to January 1, 2021, with a median age of 60 years and a male to female ratio of 1.2∶1. CD56 expression on myeloma cells was detected by flow cytometry before induction therapy. Overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) data were collected. In order to reduce the confounding factors, the propensity score matching technique was used to match CD56 positive versus negative patients at a ratio of 1∶1. Results: Among 332 patients, CD56 positivity rate was 65.1% (216/332). Patients with CD56 expression had significantly longer median OS (58.4 vs. 43.1 months, P=0.024) and PFS (28.7 vs. 24.1 months, P=0.013) than those with negative CD56. Univariate Cox proportional hazards regression analyses showed that CD56 expression was positively correlated with OS (HR=0.644, 95%CI 0.438-0.947, P=0.025) and a favorable prognostic factor for PFS (HR=0.646, 95%CI 0.457-0.913,P=0.013). The favorable effect of CD56 expression on PFS was confirmed in multivariate analysis (HR=0.705, 95%CI 0.497-0.998, P=0.049), but OS was not affected (P>0.05).In the propensity score matching analysis, 194 patients with 97 in each group were identified. CD56 positivity consistently predicted longer PFS (34.2 vs.25.1 months, P=0.047), but not OS (63.4 vs.43.1 months, P=0.056). Conclusion: These results demonstrate that CD56 expression is a favorable prognostic factor for PFS of newly diagnosed MM patients.

[Clinical analysis of multiple myeloma with second primary malignancies and multiple myeloma secondary to malignancies].

Objective: To compare the clinical characteristics and survival outcomes of multiple myeloma (MM) with second primary malignancies (SPMs) and MM secondary to malignancies. Methods: The clinical data of MM patients diagnosed and treated in Beijing Chaoyang Hospital, Capital Medical University from January 2002 to January 2021 were included. The patients were divided into two groups: MM with SPMs group and MM secondary to malignancies group. The gender, age at first diagnosis, classification, stage, type of combined malignant tumor and the treatment were analyzed. The clinical characteristics and survival differences were compared between the two groups. Results: There were 20 patients in the MM with SPMs group, 9 males and 11 females, aged [M(Q1,Q3)] 61.5(56.8, 68.0)years, and the overall survival (OS) was 49.5(32, 58) months, while the time to death from secondary tumor was 12(4,21)months. There were 29 patients in the MM secondary to malignancies group, 13 males and 16 females, aged 64.0(57.0, 71.0)years, and the OS was 97(61, 171) months, while the time to death from secondary MM was 32(18, 47) months. The time from patients diagnosed with MM to SPMs was 37(18, 50) months, which was significantly earlier than that of MM secondary to malignancies [53(31,117) months](P=0.016). The type of tumor was also different between the two groups (P<0.001). In the group of MM with SPMs, the most common type of SPMs was hematopoietic malignancies (12/20, 60.0%), whereas in the group of MM secondary to malignancies, MM was most often secondary to genitourinary malignancies (13/29, 44.8%) (P<0.001). Conclusions: Both MM with SPMs and MM secondary to malignancies can affect the survival of patients. Secondary hematological malignancies account for a high proportion of the second tumors in MM patients, while genitourinary malignancies account for a high proportion of malignant tumors associated with MM.

[Analysis of the relationship between syncope and poor prognosis in patients with acute pulmonary embolism and related factors].

Objective: To explore the association between syncope and poor prognosis and related factors of syncope in patients with acute pulmonary embolism (APE). Methods: A total of 740 patients with first diagnosed APE treated in West China Hospital of Sichuan University from September 1, 2016 to December 30, 2019 were enrolled. The basic information and clinical information (including clinical manifestations, complications, auxiliary examination, treatment and prognosis, etc.) of the patients were obtained from inpatient medical records. The patients were divided into the syncope group and the non-syncope group according to whether they had syncope or not. The basic and clinical conditions of the two groups were compared, and the factors related to syncope in APE patients were analyzed by multiple logistic regression model. Results: The proportion of APE patients with syncope was 12.6% (93/740). Age was (59±16) years in the syncope group (93 cases) and (59±17) years in the non-syncope group (647 cases), with 57.0% (53/93) and 60.4% (391/647) males, respectively. The body mass index, in-hospital mortality, proportions with high risk APE and mechanical ventilation of the syncope group were higher than those of the non-syncope group [(24.5±4.0) kg/m2 vs (23.3±3.8) kg/m2, 16.1% vs 7.7%, 4.4% vs 1.3% and 9.7% vs 2.5%, respectively]. The length of hospital stay [M (Q1, Q3)] of the syncope group was longer than that of the non-syncope group [15 (10, 22) d vs 14 (9, 22) d], and the proportions with chest pain and hemoptysis were lower than those of the non-syncope group (19.4% vs 36.8% and 14.0% vs 27.2%, respectively) (all P values<0.05). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that enlargement of the right heart [OR (95%CI): 2.46 (1.07, 5.64)] was a factor associated with syncope in APE patients. Conclusion: The proportion of APE patients with syncope is relatively high and is associated with poor prognosis, while enlargement of the right heart is associated with syncope in APE patients.

[Risk factors associated with in-hospital mortality in hospitalized patients with acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: a multicenter retrospective study].

Objective: To investigate the risk factors associated with in-hospital mortality in hospitalized patients with acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD). Methods: A total of 6 668 patients hospitalized for AECOPD in seven tertiary hospitals from September 2017 to January 2021 were consecutively included, and clinical data related to medical history, laboratory tests, treatment and prognosis were collected, and patients were divided into death group and survival group according to whether they died during hospitalization. After univariate analysis, multivariate logistic regression analysis was then performed to explore the independent risk factors related to in-hospital mortality. Results: Among 6 668 patients hospitalized for AECOPD, 128 patients experienced in-hospital death, with a mortality rate of 1.9%. The mean age of the death group was (81±9) years, which was significantly older than that of the survival group ((72±11) years P<0.001). The proportion of patients in the AECOPD in-hospital death group with a combination of prolonged bed rest, hypertension, myocardial infarction within 3 months, cardiac insufficiency, chronic pulmonary heart disease, pneumonia, type 2 diabetes, venous thromboembolism (VTE), and chronic renal insufficiency was also significantly higher than in the survival group (all P<0.05) The median length of stay in the in-hospital death group was 18 d, which was significantly longer than that in the survival group (9 d, P<0.001), and the proportion of patients admitted to the ICU, receiving invasive mechanical ventilation and non-invasive mechanical ventilation was also significantly higher than that in the survival group (all P<0.05). The white blood cell count, glutamic transaminase, blood creatinine, calcitoninogen, C-reactive protein, D-dimer, N-terminal B-type natriuretic and Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection rates were significantly higher than those in the survival group (all P<0.05). Multifactorial analysis showed that age>80 years (OR=3.82, 95%CI 2.36 to 6.18, P<0.001), prolonged bed rest (OR=2.95, 95%CI: 1.79 to 4.86, P<0.001), chronic pulmonary heart disease (OR=1.85, 95%CI: 1.14 to 3.00, P=0.012), and pneumonia (OR=2.75, 95%CI: 1.65 to 4.60, P<0.001), invasive mechanical ventilation (OR=7.33, 95%CI: 4.40 to 12.21, P<0.001), noninvasive mechanical ventilation (OR=3.73, 95%CI: 2.30 to 6.04, P<0.001), anemia (OR=2.03. 95%CI: 1.21 to 3.42, P=0.008), and calcitoninogen>0.5 ng/ml (OR=2.38, 95%CI: 1.41 to 4.02, P=0.001) were independent risk factors for in-hospital mortality in patients with AECOPD. Conclusion: Advanced age (>80 years), prolonged bed rest, chronic pulmonary heart disease, pneumonia, invasive mechanical ventilation, noninvasive mechanical ventilation, anemia, and calcitoninogen>0.5 ng/ml were independent risk factors for in-hospital mortality in patients hospitalized with AECOPD.

[Risk factors associated with mortality in patient with non-high-risk pulmonary embolism and cancer and the prognostic value of Charlson comorbidity index].

Objective: To investigate the risk factors associated with mortality and the prognostic value of Charlson comorbidity index (CCI) for mortality in patients with non-high-risk pulmonary embolism complicated by caner. Methods: Patients diagnosed with non-high-risk pulmonary embolism and caner from the medical departments of West China Hospital of Sichuan University from May, 2015 to April, 2018 were included in this study. The patients were classified into death group and survival group according to whether they died during hospitalization. Clinical information was collected and univariate along with multivariate analysis were performed in order to identify the independent risk factor related to short-term mortality in these patients. Besides, all the patients were assessed the comorbidity burden using CCI score and thereby to evaluate the prognostic value of CCI for short-time mortality. Results: A total of 195 patients were included in this study, including 115 males and 80 females. In all, 32 patients died during hospitalization and the mortality rate was 16.4%. Univariate analysis showed that male (P=0.044), age ≥65y (P=0.008), staying in bed (P=0.001), chronic pulmonary diseases (P=0.030), central venous catheterization (P=0.015), stroke history within 1 month (P=0.015), pneumonia (P=0.017), respiratory failure (P=0.017), diabetes mellitus (P=0.005) and anemia (P=0.035) were related to short term mortality of these patients. As for laboratory examination results, levels of hemoglobin and sodium in death group were significantly lower than survival group (P<0.05). Multivariate logistic regression showed that age ≥65y (OR=3.01, 95%CI: 1.05-8.68, P=0.041), staying in bed (OR=4.15, 95%CI: 1.37-12.54, P=0.012), central venous catheterization (OR=16.10, 95%CI: 2.09-124.08, P=0.008), stroke history within 1 month (OR=6.56, 95%CI: 1.05-40.95, P=0.044) and hyponatremia (OR=2.75, 95%CI: 1.06-7.15, P=0.038) were independent risk factors of short term mortality in these patients. Besides, CCI score in death group was significantly higher than that in survival group (5.66±2.96 vs 4.13±2.74, P=0.005). Pulmonary embolism patients with CCI≥4 were associated with 4.25-fold increased risk of mortality compared with patients with CCI<4 (OR=4.25, 95%CI: 1.83-9.89, P=0.001), and the per additional 1-score increase of CCI after 4 was associated with 4.89-fold increased risk of mortality (OR=4.89, 95%CI: 2.07-11.55, P<0.001). Survival analysis showed that patients with CCI≥4 had lower survival rate than the patients with CCI<4 during hospitalization (P<0.001). Conclusions: Age ≥65y, staying in bed, central venous catheterization, stroke history within 1 month and hyponatremia are independent risk factor of short-term mortality in patients with non-high-risk pulmonary embolism and caner. CCI score has prognostic value of short term mortality in these patients, and the risk increases with the increase of comorbidities patients have.

[Review of upper urinary modified minimal invasive surgical technology].

Upper urinary surgery is an important area of urology surgery. Open surgery used to be the gold standard of upper urinary surgery. With the development of medical techniques, minimal invasive surgeries including laparoscopic and robot assisted-laparoscopic surgery have gradually replaced the open surgery. Because of the complexity and diversity of upper urinary diseases, surgeries sometimes are difficult, and minimal invasive surgeries require higher surgical abilities of urologists than open surgeries. In recent years, depending on our surgical experience and international reports, our team from three Chinese medical centers summarizes techniques of upper urinary minimal invasive surgeries. For malignant diseases, such as renal and ureteral carcinomas, it's important to totally remove the tumor first, and then to avoid the surgical injuries. We summarize surgical experience of retroperitoneal laparoscopic partial nephrectomy for moderately complex renal hilar tumors. Our team modified minimal invasive techniques for some complex tumors, including ring suture technique for renal hilar tumors, internal suspension technique for renal ventral tumors, and combination retroperitoneal laparoscopic surgery with mini-flank incision for complex renal tumors. While for begin diseases, urologists should focus on the resections and surgical injuries at the same time. We have reported the novel technique of laparoscopic aspiration for central renal angiomyolipoma, making the surgery simple and available. For reconstruction surgeries, operations should be based on several principals. We generalize it as "4TB principals", which include "tension-free", "water-tight", "thin suture", "no touch of the key area" and "protecting the blood supply". Depending on the localization, length, and etiology of the strictures, different techniques are required. Our team summarize the pyeloplasty, ureteral reimplantation and ileal ureter replacement based on our surgical experience. For infant upper urinary surgeries, our team has made invasive surgeries that can be used in complex diseases, such as duplex kidney. Based on years of surgical techniques, our modified surgeries achieve a better subjective cosmetic result than the traditional surgeries. In the future, the standardized, practical, simple and individual minimal invasive surgical technique will become the main direction in the future researches.

[Comparison of risk factors and short-term and long-term prognosis of pulmonary embolism between the Tibetan and Han people].

Objective: To compare the differences of risk factors and prognosis of pulmonary embolism (PE) between the Tibetans and the Hans. Methods: Patients over 18 years old with confirmed PE and complete clinical data from West China Hospital of Sichuan University from January 2010 to January 2016 were prospectively enrolled and divided into Tibetan group and Han group. Clinical data were collected to compare risk factors and short-term prognosis between Han group and Tibetan group. In addition, a 2-year follow-up was conducted among patients after discharge to investigate the long-term prognosis. Results: A total of 90 patients in Tibetan group and 626 patients in Han group were finally included in this study. Patients in Tibetan group were younger than Han group [(52.2±15.8) vs (59.8±16.6) years old, P<0.001], and the proportion of elderly patients (age ≥70 years) in Tibetan group was significantly lower than that of Han group (15.6% vs 33.7%, P=0.001). The hemoglobin, hematocrit, platelet counts and fibrinogen in Tibetan group were higher than those in Han group [(134.0±32.0) vs (122.2±25.7) g/L, (41.2±9.2)% vs (37.6±7.3)% and (222.2±97.5)×10(9)/L vs (187.5±87.2)×10(9)/L, 3.71(2.51, 4.89) vs 3.31(2.44, 4.42) g/L; P<0.001, <0.001 and P=0.001, 0.048, respectively]. Malignancy and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease were more common in Han group (P=0.011, 0.001), while prior venous thromboembolism history, pregnancy or a history delivery within 1 month were more common in Tibetan group (P=0.041, 0.001). Both short-term and long-term mortality in Tibetan group were significantly lower than that in Han group (2.2% vs 11.5%, 13.6% vs 24.9%; P=0.005, 0.020). Conclusions: Hypercoagulable state plays an important role in the pathogenesis of PE in Tibetan patients. Both short-term and long-term prognosis of PE in Tibetan patients are better than that in Han patients.

[Risk factors of pulmonary embolism in senile and non-senile inpatients and the predictive value of Caprini risk assessment model in these two populations].

Objective: To investigate the risk factors of pulmonary embolism (PE) in senile and non-senile inpatients, and evaluate the predictive value of Caprini risk assessment model in these two populations. Methods: Case control study design was used in this study. All the PE patients diagnosed in West China Hospital of Sichuan University between January 2012 and December 2014 was included and divided into senile PE group (age ≥65 years old) and non-senile PE group (age <65 years old). Age matched controls (senile control group and non-senile control group) were selected from the patients admitted into the same departments during the same time period as PE patients, at a ratio of 2∶1. The risk factors of PE for senile and non-senile inpatients were investigated through comparing senile or non-senile PE patients with corresponding controls. All the subjects were retrospectively evaluated by Caprini risk assessment model, and the associations between risk stratifications and PE risk were analyzed. Results: A total of 135 senile PE patients and 212 non-senile PE patients were finally included in this study, with average age of (73.58±6.66) years old and (45.60±13.11) years old, respectively. And 233 age-matched senile controls and 418 non-senile controls were also included. The multivariate analysis showed diabetes (OR=4.08, 95%CI: 1.58-10.51, P=0.004) , heart failure (OR=3.67, 95%CI: 1.10-12.20, P=0.034) , swollen legs (OR=10.50, 95%CI: 5.57-19.79, P<0.001) , severe lung disease (OR=2.05, 95%CI: 1.08-3.90, P=0.028) , patient confined to bed (>72 h) (OR=58.33, 95%CI: 7.46-456.17, P<0.001) were independent risk factors of PE in senile patients, while obesity[body mass index (BMI)≥25 kg/m(2)](OR=2.72, 95%CI: 1.42-5.24, P=0.003), history of deep venous thrombosis (DVT)/PE (OR=17.54, 95%CI: 2.74-112.19, P=0.002) , hip, pelvis, or leg fracture (OR=18.31, 95%CI: 1.97-170.11, P=0.011) , swollen legs (OR=18.53, 95%CI: 11.29-30.40, P<0.001) , severe lung disease ( OR=4.11, 95%CI: 2.41-7.00, P<0.001) , patient confined to bed (>72 h) (OR=4.04, 95%CI: 2.03-8.04, P<0.001) were independent risk factors of PE in non-senile patients. Among the senile patients, the risk of PE increased with the increase of Caprini risk levels; compared with Caprini moderate risk, classifications of high risk and highest risk were associated with 4.64-fold (95%CI: 1.05-20.44, P=0.043) and 10.74-fold (95%CI: 2.46-46.94, P=0.002) increased risk of PE, respectively; within the highest subgroup, the per 2-score increase of Caprini score was associated with 3.02-fold (95%CI: 1.76-5.19, P<0.001) increased risk of PE. Among those non-senile patients, the risk of PE for Caprini low risk and high risk patients was not significantly different, compared with Caprini moderate risk patients; however, the highest risk was still associated with 3.94-fold (95%CI: 2.39-6.51, P<0.001) increased risk of PE compared with moderate risk; within this subgroup, the per 2-score increase of Caprini score was associated with 2.13-fold (95%CI: 1.21-3.73, P=0.008) increased risk of PE. Conclusions: Swollen legs, severe lung disease, confined to bed (>72 h) are common PE risk factors among both senile and non-senile inpatients. Diabetes, heart failure are unique PE risk factors for senile inpatients, while obesity (BMI≥25 kg/m(2)), history of DVT/PE, hip, pelvis, or leg fracture are unique PE risk factors for non-senile inpatients. The Caprini risk assessment model has better predictive value in senile patients than non-senile patients, while Caprini highest risk classification is companied by significantly increased risk of PE in both populations.

[Risk factors of venous thromboembolism recurrence and the predictive value of simplified pulmonary embolism severity index in medical inpatients].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the risk factors of venous thromboembolism (VTE) recurrence and the predictive value of simplified pulmonary embolism severity index (sPESI) in medical inpatients. METHODS: A total of 149 consecutive patients with first diagnosed VTE from the medical departments of West China Hospital of Sichuan University from January 2011 and December 2012 were enrolled and followed-up for 24 months. The VTE recurrence rate was calculated and univariate and multivariate cox proportional hazards regression analysis were performed to identify the risk factors associated with VTE recurrence. All the patients were evaluated by sPESI, and survival analysis was used to explore its value in predicting VTE recurrence in these medical patients. RESULTS: Out of the included 149 patients, 23(15.4%) patients had VTE recurrence during the 2 years' follow-up and median recurrence time was 167 days. The univariate analysis showed bed rest, severe lung disease, nephrotic syndrome, inappropriate anticoagulant therapy, smoking, diabetes, and malignant neoplasm might be associated with VTE recurrence (P=0.043, 0.006, 0.009, 0.032, 0.098, 0.048, 0.021). Among these risk factors, the multivariate analysis revealed severe lung disease, nephrotic syndrome, and malignant neoplasm were the independent risk factors (HR=3.45, 5.67, 3.60; P=0.020, 0.020, 0.047); while for inappropriate anticoagulant therapy, the P value was marginal (HR=3.94, 95% CI: 0.99-15.63, P=0.051). The median sPESI scores of the patients with VTE recurrence was higher than that of the patients without VTE recurrence[1(1, 2) vs 0(0, 1), P=0.001], and patients with sPESI≥1 were associated with 5.57-fold increased risk of VTE recurrence compared with patients with sPESI=0 (95%CI: 1.79-17.30, P=0.001). Survival analysis also showed that the 2-year cumulative VTE recurrence rate of patients with sPESI≥1 was significant higher than that of patients with sPESI=0 (38.4% vs 5.7%, P=0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The medical VTE patients have high VTE recurrence risk, and severe lung disease, nephrotic syndrome, malignant neoplasm and inappropriate anticoagulant therapy are important risk factors of VTE recurrence. The sPESI has predictive value for VTE recurrence in medical patients.

Pdxl and its role in activating Ngn3 and Pax6 to induce differentiation of iPSCs into islet ß cells.

The pancreatic and duodenal homeobox factor 1 (Pdx1) protein is the most pivotal transcription factor in the development of islet ß cells. This study investigated the role of Pdx1 and its mechanism in differentiating induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) into islet ß cells. iPSCs derived from human skin fibroblasts were cultured in vitro and directionally induced to differentiate for 20 days. The expression of insulin-related genes was then detected by RT-PCR, and the expression of several differentiation-related transcription factors was assessed both before and after the differentiation process. Lastly, the specific promoter regions where Pdx1 binds were detected by ChIP. The insulin-related genes, MafA, insulin, Glut2, Nkx6.1, GCK, and Tcf1, showed increased expression during differentiation, and nearly peaked on the 20th day. Similarly, the expression of transcription factors, Pdx1, Ngn3, and Pax6 showed enhanced expression during differentiation as compared with that of the control group. ChIP experiments confirmed that Pdx1 activates the expression of the downstream transcription factors, Ngn3 and Pax6, by combined with the promoter regions of insulin (Insulin-P), Ngn3 (Ngn3-P), and Pax6 (Pax6-P). In conclusion, Pdx1 activates downstream transcription factors Ngn3 and Pax6, and may be one of the mechanisms that promote differentiation of iPSCs into islet ß cells.

Role of adiponectin in adipose tissue wound healing.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the mechanism behind adipose tissue wound healing (ATWH). The preadipocyte cell line 3T3-L1 was cultured and expression of adiponectin receptors (AdipoR1/2) was detected by immunohistochemistry and reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. The concentration of adiponectin secreted at different cell densities was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, while preadipocyte proliferation and migration were determined in vitro by MTT and wound closure assays. AdipoR1/2 were found to be expressed in 3T3-L1 preadipocytes. There were no statistically significant differences in the concentrations of adiponectin secreted by cell solutions of different densities (P > 0.05). In addition, adiponectin was seen to promote the growth and migration of preadipocytes. In conclusion, adiponectin may regulate ATWH by promoting preadipocyte proliferation and migration, and its systemic and/or local application is proposed as a promising therapeutic approach for the treatment of wounds incurred as a result of surgery.

Effects of BCL2 transfection on the cell cycle and proliferation of human GES-1 cells.

We investigated the effects of BCL2 transfection on the cell cycle and proliferation of GES-1 cells. A pcDNA3-BCL2 plasmid was used to transfect GES-1 cell line human gastric epithelial cells. Clones were obtained by G418 screening. BCL2-positive cells were identified by fluorescence immunohistochemistry. The pcDNA3-BCL2 vectors carrying the NeoR gene were transfected into GES-1 cells, while the empty plasmid was transfected into the same cells as controls. BCL2-positive clones were screened by neomycin 418 (G418). Flow cytometry was used to detect the cell cycle. Hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining revealed morphological changes, and the effects of BCL2 transfection on cell proliferation were analyzed by cell counting and 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay. The plasmid pcDNA3-BCL2 was identified by restriction enzyme digestion. Different degrees of BCL2 gene expression were detected in all seven clones. BCL2 was expressed mainly in the cytoplasm and the nuclear membrane. There were significantly more S-phase cells in the transfection group than in the controls. The morphology did not change after H&E staining. Cell growth was faster than in the controls after transfection for 6 days. At 24, 48, and 72 h after transfection, the A values were 4.15 ± 0.31, 5.98 ± 0.56, and 8.94 ± 0.79; those of the controls were 3.01 ± 0.20, 4.76 ± 0.52, and 7.69 ± 0.84; there was a significant difference between the two groups (P < 0.05). BCL2 transfection increased GES-1 cells in the S phase; the GES-1 cells were stable and BCL2 expression was high, which promoted cell proliferation.

Association of XRCC5 polymorphisms with COPD and COPD-related phenotypes in the Han Chinese population: a case-control cohort study.

Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) and integrative genomic approaches have demonstrated significant associations between chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and polymorphisms of the X-ray repair cross-complementing protein 5 gene (XRCC5) in non-Asian populations. We investigated whether XRCC5 polymorphisms might be associated with COPD susceptibility and COPD-related phenotypes in the Chinese Han population. Nine single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) (rs3821104, rs12470053, rs207936, rs3770498, rs6704622, rs3770492, rs4674066, rs7573191, and rs207906) in the XRCC5 gene were genotyped in a case-control study including 680 COPD patients and 687 controls. To estimate the strength of association, odds ratios (ORs) were calculated and the effects of potentially confounding variables were tested by logistic regression analysis. The association between haplotypes and COPD outcome was also assessed. Our data identified that the SNP rs207936 was associated with COPD with an adjusted P value of 0.038, which was also found when analyzing only data of current smokers (P=0.046). No significant associations were found between any of the SNPs and pulmonary function. Eight SNPs (rs3821104, rs12470053, rs207936, rs3770498, rs6704622, rs3770492, rs4674066, and rs7573191) showed strong linkage disequilibrium (R2≥0.9). Two major haplotypes were observed and showed a significant difference between case and control groups (P=0.0054 and 0.0081, respectively). The present study showed that the XRCC5 locus might be a contributor to COPD susceptibility in the Chinese Han population.

[Minimal residual disease assessment and progress in multiple myeloma].

With the rapid iteration of multiple myeloma therapeutics over the last two decades, as well as increasing remission rates and depth of remission in patients, traditional methods for monitoring disease response are insufficient to meet the clinical needs of new drugs. Minimal residual disease (MRD) is a more sensitive test for determining the depth of response, and data from multiple clinical trials and meta-analyses show that a negative MRD correlates with a better prognosis than a traditional complete response. MM is at the forefront of MRD evaluation and treatment. MRD detection methods have been continuously updated. The current MRD assessment has three dimensions: bone marrow-based MRD testing, MRD testing based on images of residual metabolic of focal lesions, and peripheral blood-based MRD testing. The various MRD assessment methods complement one another. The goal of this article is to discuss the currently used MRD assays, the progress, and challenges of MRD in MM, and to provide a reference for clinicians to better use the techniques.

Accuracy of Doppler echocardiography in the assessment of pulmonary arterial hypertension in patients with congenital heart disease.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a major cause of morbidity and mortality among patients with congenital heart disease (CHD). Earlier diagnosis of PAH would be of great benefit for the estimation of the CHD, the grasp of the indications for surgery and prognosis. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We assessed the diagnostic accuracy of Doppler echocardiography (D-ECHO) in detecting PAH in patients with CHD and the value of estimation about ventricular morphology and function of PAH-CHD patients. 123 CHD patients evaluated for suspected PAH were prospectively recruited. D-ECHO was performed and estimated right ventricular systolic pressure (RVSP) was measured to screen for PAH. Subsequently, pulmonary hemodynamic parameters were measured by right heart catheterization (RHC) for definitive diagnosis of PAH. RESULTS: RHC identified 66/123 (54%) patients with PAH. The noninvasive cut-point was: estimated right ventricular systolic pressure (RVSP) > 36.5 mm Hg by D-ECHO. D-ECHO classified 107 subjects correctly (sensitivity 89.4%, specificity 84.2%). The area under receiver-operating characteristic curve (AUC) was 0.96 for D-ECHO. A positive significant correlation (r = 0.853, p < 0.01) was found between RVSP measured by D-ECHO and systolic pulmonary arterial pressure (sPAP) measured by RHC. In addition, D-ECHO showed higher RVSP, left ventricular internal diameter (LV), right atrial diameter (RA), right ventricular internal diameter (RV), left ventricular end-diastolic diameter (EDD), left ventricular diastolic end-diastolic volume (EDV) and mitral velocity A wave (AMV) values in the PAH-CHD group than in the CHD group (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: D-ECHO is not only an important noninvasive diagnostic technique for PAH-CHD patients, but also a tool which can indicate the ventricular remodeling and diastolic dysfunction induced by PAH to some extent.

[Effect and mechanism of circular RNA BICD2 on the biological behavior of oral squamous cell carcinoma cells].

Objective: To investigate the effects of circular RNA (circRNA) BICD2 (circ-BICD2) on glutamine metabolism, cell proliferation, migration, invasion and apoptosis of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) cells and to further explore the possible mechanism. Methods: OSCC cells were purchased from Shanghai Institute of Cellular Cells, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Samples of OSCC tissues and corresponding adjacent tissues were collected from 35 OSCC patients who underwent surgical resection at the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University from January 2016 to January 2018. Real-time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) and western blot were performed to detect the expression levels of circ-BICD2, miR-296-5p and transgelin2 (TAGLN2) in OSCC tissues and cells. Bioinformatics, dual luciferase report experiment and RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP) experiment were used to determine the targeting relationship between circ-BICD2 and miR-296-5p, miR-296-5p and TAGLN2. According to different transfection oligonucleotides or plasmids, CAL27 and SCC9 cells were divided into si-NC group (transfection si-NC), si-circ-BICD2 group (transfection si-circ-BICD2), si-circ-BICD2+anti-miR-NC group (transfected with si-circ-BICD2 and anti-miR-NC), si-circ-BICD2+anti-miR-296-5p group (transfected with si-circ-BICD2 and anti-miR-296-5p), miR-NC group (transfected with miR-NC), miR-296-5p group (transfected with miR-296-5p mimic), miR-296-5p+pcDNA (transfected with miR-296-5p mimic and pcDNA) and miR-296-5p+TAGLN2 group (transfected with miR-296-5p mimic and pcDNA-TAGLN2). Cell counting kit 8(CCK-8), colony formation experiment, flow cytometry, Scratch healing test and Transwell experiment were applied to detect OSCC cell viability, number of colonies, cycle distribution, apoptosis rate, migration rate and invasive cell numbers. Glutamine (gln) consumption, α-ketoglutaric acid (α-KG) production and adenosine triphosphate (ATP) concentration were also detected by the kit. The expression of cyclinD1 and Glutamine hydrolase (GLS1) proteins of CAL27 and SCC9 cells in each of the groups were detected by western blot. Twelve four-week-old clean BALB/c female nude mice were injected with a single-cell suspension of SCC9 cells into the axillary skin to establish a transplanted tumor model. Twelve transplanted tumor model mice were divided into sh-circ-BICD2 group and sh-NC group. Mice were sacrificed by cervical dislocation at 32 days after injection, the tumors were removed and the tumor weight was tested. Results: The expressions of circ-BICD2 (2.54±0.74) and TAGLN2 (1.86±0.15) were increased (P<0.05), while the expression of MiR-296-5p was decreased in OSCC tissues (P<0.05). Cell viability, clone formation numbers, migration rate, invasive cell numbers, S phase cell ratio, glu consumption, α-KG production, ATP concentration, expression of cyclinD1 and GLS1 proteins of OSCC cells were significantly reduced after interference with circ-BICD2 expression. The apoptosis rate, the proportion of cells in G0-G1 phase and the expression of miR-296-5p were significantly increased (P<0.05). Inhibiting the expression of miR-296-5p coulld reverse the effect of interfering with circ-BICD2 on OSCC cell proliferation, migration, invasion, apoptosis and glutamine metabolism (P<0.05). After overexpression of miR-296-5p, cell viability, clone formation red number, migration rate, number of invasive cells, S phase cell ratio, glu consumption, α-KG production, ATP concentration and expressions of cyclinD1, GLS1 and TAGLN2 proteins in OSCC cells were significant decrease. The rate of apoptosis and the proportion of cells in G0-G1 phase were significantly increased (P<0.05). Compared with overexpression of miR-296-5p, cell viability, clone formation red number, migration rate, number of invasive cells, S phase cell ratio, glu consumption, α-KG production, ATP concentration, cyclinD1, GLS1 and TAGLN2 proteins in OSCC cells after overexpression of miR-296-5p and TAGLN2 were significantly increased, and the apoptosis rate and the proportion of cells in the G0-G1 phase were significantly decreased (P<0.05). Compared with the sh-NC group, the tumor weights of mice in the sh-circ-BICD2 group were significantly reduced (P<0.05). Conclusions: Circ-BICD2 was highly expressed in OSCC cells. Interfering with circ-BICD2 could inhibit the proliferation, migration and invasion of OSCC cells, glutamine metabolism and tumor growth and promote cell apoptosis, which might be relate to the regulation of miR-296-5p/TAGLN2 molecular axis.