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Objective:There are a variety of minimally invasive interventional treatments for trigeminal neuralgia,and the efficacy evaluation is different.The preferred treatment scheme is still controversial.This study aims to investigate the differences in treatment effects between patients with primary trigeminal neuralgia(PTN)treated with percutaneous balloon compression(PBC)for the first intervention and patients with pain recurrence after radiofrequency thermocoagulation(RT)who then received PBC for PTN,and to offer clinicians and patients more scientifically grounded and precise treatment alternatives. Methods:We retrospectively analyzed 103 patients with PTN admitted to the Department of Pain Management of the Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University from January 2020 to December 2021,including 49 patients who received PBC for the first time(PBC group)and 54 patients who received PBC for pain recurrence after RT(RT+PBC group).General information,preoperative pain score,intraoperative oval foramen morphology,oval foramen area,balloon volume,duration of compression,and postoperative pain scores and pain recurrence at each time point on day 1(T1),day 7(T2),day 14(T3),1 month(T4),3 months(T5),and 1 year(T6)were collected and recorded for both groups.The differences in treatment effect,complications and recurrence between the 2 groups were compared,and the related influencing factors were analyzed. Results:The differences of general information,preoperative pain scores,foramen ovale morphology,foramen ovale area,T1 to T3 pain scores between the 2 groups were not statistically different(all P>0.05).The balloon filling volume in the PBC group was smaller than that in the RT+PBC group,the pain scores at T4 to T6 and pain recurrence were better than those in the RT+PBC group(all P<0.05).Pain recurrence was positively correlated with pain scores of T2 to T6(r=0.306,0.482,0.831,0.876,0.887,respectively;all P<0.01). Conclusion:The choice of PBC for the first intervention in PTN patients is superior to the choice of PBC after pain recurrence after RT treatment in terms of treatment outcome and pain recurrence.
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Objective To analyze the effects of deep learning image reconstruction(DLIR)and adaptive statistical iterative recon-struction V(ASIR-V)on the imaging quality of chest CT in patient with pulmonary nodules,and to evaluate the differences based on different image reconstruction techniques in the detection of efficiency of computer-aided diagnosis(CAD)for pulmonary nodules.Methods The image data of pulmonary nodules of eighty patients with chest CT screening were reconstructed with ASIR-V 80％,DLIR-low(DLIR-L),DLIR-medium(DLIR-M)and DLIR-high(DLIR-H)images,respectively.The objective image quality and sub-jective image quality of the four groups were compared and analyzed.Objective image quality includes CT value of region of interest(ROI),noise,signal-to-noise ratio(SNR),contrast-to-noise ratio(CNR)and image average gradient.The diagnostic efficacy of CAD in detecting pulmonary nodules of reconstructed images among four groups were further evaluated.Results There were no signifi-cant difference in CT value of ROI of reconstructed images among the four groups(P＞0.05).The noise,SNR and CNR of DLIR-H images were similar to those of ASIR-V 80％(P＞0.05),but significantly better than those of DLIR-L and DLIR-M(P＜0.05).The average gradient of DLIR-L,DLIR-M and DLIR-H images were significantly higher than those of ASIR-V 80％(P＜0.05).The subjective image quality scores of DLIR-L,DLIR-M and DLIR-H images were significantly higher than those of ASIR-V 80％(P＜0.05),and the subjective image quality score of DLIR-H image was the highest.CAD showed the highest true positive rate in DLIR-H images for detecting pulmonary nodules(P＜0.05),and CAD showed the highest false positives per capita in ASIR-V 80％images for detecting pulmonary nodules(P＜0.05).Conclusion The noise,SNR and CNR of DLIR-H images are similar to those of ASIR-V 80％,with the significantly higher image clarity and subjective image quality scores.DLIR-H has advantages in CAD detection of pulmonary nodules,which is an ideal image reconstruction technology for chest CT pulmonary nodule screening.
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BACKGROUND:With the increasing demand for edentulous jaw restoration,"All-on-4"concept is widely used.The load transfer mode of implant is different from that of natural tooth.The three-dimensional finite element analysis can study the stress distribution of implants and surrounding bone tissues under functional loading.On this basis,it provides research methods for finding suitable implant materials,optimizing implant geometry,and designing clinical surgical protocols. OBJECTIVE:To review researches related to three-dimensional finite element analysis in"All-on-4"concept. METHODS:Relevant literature published from 2003 to 2023 was searched in CNKI and PubMed databases with the search terms of"finite element method;All-on-4;edentulous;biomechanics"in Chinese and English.Finally,65 articles were included for review. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)In the case of insufficient horizontal bone mass,we can choose to apply narrow diameter implants,but we need to pay attention to the effect of the presence of the cantilever on the stress distribution and reduce the risk of failure.(2)The"All-on-4"concept reduces the stress distribution of bone by tilting the distal middle implant,but the ideal angle of the distal implant tilt in different jaw types requires further study.(3)The presence of cantilevers increases the risk of implant failure,and keeping the cantilever length/AP distance ratio at 0.9 helps to minimize mechanical complications.(4)When a framework is made of a material with a lower elastic modulus,the stress on the framework itself will be smaller,but it will increase the stress on the implant,prosthetic screw,abutment and peri-implant bone.On the contrary,when a material with a higher elastic modulus is used,it can reduce the stress on the prosthetic components,implants and peri-implant bone in the restoration,but the stress on the framework itself is higher.(5)The"All-on-4"concept allows for a better mechanistic balance,but requires the development of a long-term,effective treatment program that is tailored to the patient's specific situation.(6)Proper occlusal scheme is the key to the success of implant treatment,and there is no difference between canine-guide occlusion and group function occlusion in terms of the longevity of the restoration.However,there are many factors that influence occlusal design,and further in vitro experiments as well as a number of clinical studies are needed to explore the ideal occlusal design of the"All-on-4".
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Objective:To investigate the application value of biological muscle flap in laparo-scopic radical proximal gastrectomy with esophagogastric anastomosis.Methods:The retrospec-tive and descriptive study was conducted. The clinicopathological data of 10 patients with adeno-carcinoma of esophagogastric junction who were admitted to The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi′an Jiaotong University from May 2023 to August 2023 were collected. All patients were males, aged (65±5)years. All patients underwent laparoscopic radical proximal gastrectomy and esophagogastric anastomosis with digestive tract reconstruction using the esophagogastric biological muscle flap. Observation indicators: (1) surgical situations and early complications; (2) follow-up and late com-plications. Measurement data with normal distribution were represented as Mean± SD, and measure-ment data with skewed distribution were represented as M(range). Count data were described as absolute numbers. Results:(1) Surgical situations and early complications. All 10 patients success-fully completed the surgery without conversion to open surgery, and the operation time was (166±18)minutes. Cases with digestive tract reconstruction as end-to-side anastomosis and Overlap anas-tomosis were 1 and 9, respectively. The time of digestive tract reconstruction, the number of lymph node dissected, volume of intraoperative blood loss, time to postoperative first anal exhaust, time to postoperative first intake of liquid food, duration of postoperative hospital stay were (40±12)minutes, 24±6, (41±9)mL, (3.4±0.5)days, (4.1±1.0)days, (8.3±0.7)days in the 10 patients. Of 4 cases with postoperative early complications, 1 case developed pulmonary infection (Clavien-Dindo grade Ⅱ) on the second day after surgery, with pulmonary infection absorbed after 5 days of antibiotic treat-ment. Two cases experienced chest distress and shortness of breath on the third day after surgery, with the diagnosis of a small to moderate amount of pleural effusion after chest B-ultrasound examination. After pleural puncture and active treatment, the symptoms of them were improved and the pleural effusion disappeared. There was 1 case with choking sensation when eating solid food, which was started from the third week after surgery. Upper gastrointestinal imaging revealed mild anastomotic stenosis of Clavien-Dindo grade Ⅰ in the patient, who was improved after conservative treatment. On the 7th day after surgery, all 10 patients underwent upper gastrointestinal angiography, and no anastomotic leakage or stenosis occurred. There was no sign of contrast agent reflux in the supine position and 30° head down position. (2) Follow-up and late complications. All 10 patients were followed up for 59.5(range, 31.0-127.0)days. The esophageal reflux scale score of 10 patients was 1.4±0.3. During the follow-up, 1 case underwent gastroscopy on 40 days after surgery, which showed reflux esophagitis with Los Angeles grade as B and the Clavien-Dindo grade as Ⅰ. There was no clinical symptom such as heartburn or acid reflux. Results of 24-hour pH monitoring showed that the patient experienced 24 instances of reflux in an upright position and 15 instances of reflux in a supine position, with no prolonged reflux. The total reflux time within 24 hours was 75 minutes. The DeMeester score was 38.3. Results of esophageal pressure measurement showed that the esophageal contraction morphology was normal, but the anastomotic opening was not well relaxed. The rest of 9 cases had no complication such as reflux esophagitis.Conclusion:Biological muscle flap applied in the laparoscopic radical proximal gastrectomy with esophagogastric anastomosis is safe and feasible, with satisfied short-term efficacy.
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Payment by diagnosis related groups(DRG)is an important research direction in China's current medical insurance payment reform.However,it limits the clinical development and utilization of innovative medicines to a certain extent.Additional payments for innovative medicines have been thoroughly studied in many countries.This paper conducted an analysis and summary of the global experience regarding additional payment for innovative medicines under the DRG payment system.U-sing the United States,France,and Germany as case studies,this paper also examined the current state of medical insurance pay-ment for innovative medicines in China and the influence of DRG payment on the development of such medicine.In addition,it has put forward explicit policy recommendations,including the establishment of inclusion criteria,the selection of appropriate payment modes,the implementation of dynamic adjustment mechanisms,the enhancement of payment methods,etc.This paper aims to provide references to comprehensively promote DRG payment reform while further establishing and enhancing medical in-surance payment mechanisms related to innovative medicines in the context of China's national conditions.
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Objective To compare the therapeutic efficacy of whey protein powder in peritoneal dialysis hypoproteinemia patients.Methods From August 2019 to August 2020,100 patients with peritoneal dialysis hypoproteinemia from the Peritoneal Dialysis Center of the First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University were investigated.The patients were separated into 2 groups randomly;the study group were administered whey protein powder and the control group with high protein food.After 32 weeks of treatment,biochemical and biometric indices including hemoglobin(Hb),albumin(ALB),prealbumin(PA),triglyceride(TG),total cholesterol(TC),phosphorus(P),low density lipoprotein(LDL),high density lipoprotein(HDL),serum creatinine(Scr),blood urea nitrogen(BUN),estimated glo-merular filtration rate(eGFR),total spKt/Vurea(TKt/V),total creatinine clearance rate(TCcr),hand grip strength(HG),triceps skinfold(TSF),arm circumference(AMC),mid-arm muscle circumference(MAMC)were compared between groups.Results Compared with 0 week,at 16 and 32 weeks,ALB,PA,and HG were significantly increased in the study group(P＜0.05).Compared with the control group,ALB,PA,and HG increased significantly at 16 and 32 weeks in the study group(P＜0.05).There were no significant differences in TG,TC,HDL,LDL,eGFR,TKt/V,and TCcr at 0,8,16,and 32 weeks between the control and study groups(P＞0.05).Conclusion For patients with peritoneal dialysis hypoproteinemia caused by insufficient protein intake or excessive protein loss,the addition of whey protein during peritoneal dialysis can significantly improve the nutritional status of patients,with greater efficacy than a high protein diet alone.
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TCM functional exercises are the important means of TCM to prevent and cure diseases. By adjusting the bones and muscles externally, adjusting the heart and organs internally, promoting blood circulation, improving sleep disorders, enhancing metabolism and immune capacity, the aim of preventing and treating diseases, prolonging life span, and strengthening the body is achieved. TCM exercises have a significant effect on the treatment of various types of fatigue such as chronic fatigue syndrome, Exercise-induced fatigue, post-stroke fatigue, and cancer-related fatigue.
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Aim To investigate the regulatory effect of Cortaetin on pathological myocardial hypertrophy induced by isoprenaline (ISO) and the underlying mechanism. Methods ISO was used to stimulate neonatal rat cardiomyocytes for 24 h, and myocardial hypertrophy model was established at the cellular level. C57BL/6 mice were injected subcutaneously with ISO for one week to establish myocardial hypertrophy model at animal level. RT-qPCR was used to detect the changes of mRNA and Western blot was used to detect the changes of relative protein content. Immunofluorescence was used to measure the subcellular location of Cortaetin and the change of its expression. The overex-pression of Cortaetin by adenovirus infection and the knockdown of Cortaetin by transfection of small interfering RNA were studied. Results On the cellular and animal levels, ISO-induced myocardial hypertrophy models were successfully established, and it was observed that ISO caused the decrease of Cortaetin and N-cadherin protein levels. Overexpression of Cortaetin could reverse the decrease of N-cadherin protein level and myocardial hypertrophy caused by ISO. Knockdown of Cortaetin showed the opposite effect. Conclusion Cortaetin, in combination with N-cadherin, may play a role in combating myocardial hypertrophy by enhancing the connections between cardiomyocytes.
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Bioactive compounds derived from herbal medicinal plants modulate various therapeutic targets and signaling pathways associated with cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), the world's primary cause of death. Ginkgo biloba, a well-known traditional Chinese medicine with notable cardiovascular actions, has been used as a cardio- and cerebrovascular therapeutic drug and nutraceutical in Asian countries for centuries. Preclinical studies have shown that ginkgolide B, a bioactive component in Ginkgo biloba, can ameliorate atherosclerosis in cultured vascular cells and disease models. Of clinical relevance, several clinical trials are ongoing or being completed to examine the efficacy and safety of ginkgolide B-related drug preparations in the prevention of cerebrovascular diseases, such as ischemia stroke. Here, we present a comprehensive review of the pharmacological activities, pharmacokinetic characteristics, and mechanisms of action of ginkgolide B in atherosclerosis prevention and therapy. We highlight new molecular targets of ginkgolide B, including nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate oxidases (NADPH oxidase), lectin-like oxidized LDL receptor-1 (LOX-1), sirtuin 1 (SIRT1), platelet-activating factor (PAF), proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) and others. Finally, we provide an overview and discussion of the therapeutic potential of ginkgolide B and highlight the future perspective of developing ginkgolide B as an effective therapeutic agent for treating atherosclerosis.
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Organ transplantation is the optimal treatment for end-stage organ failure. Nevertheless, organ shortage is a global problem, which limits further development of organ transplantation. Recent research shows that genetically modified pig may become a realistic alternative source of clinical organ transplantation donor. Xenotransplantation may serve as one of the effective measures to resolve the problem of organ shortage. Since 2021, 2 cases of living xenotransplantation and 6 cases of xenotransplantation in brain death recipients have been performed worldwide, and phase Ⅰ clinical trial of xenotransplantation has been launched, and the results have exceeded expectations. Therefore, in this article, recent clinical trial results of xenotransplantation in living and brain death recipients were retrospectively analyzed, and scientific, technical and ethical issues related to clinical research of xenotransplantation were illustrated, hoping to provide reference for clinical research of xenotransplantation in China and promote the development of xenotransplantation in clinical practice.
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BACKGROUND@#Rheumatoid arthritis (RA), a chronic systemic autoimmune disease, is characterized by synovitis and progressive damage to the bone and cartilage of the joints, leading to disability and reduced quality of life. This study was a randomized clinical trial comparing the outcomes between withdrawal and dose reduction of tofacitinib in patients with RA who achieved sustained disease control.@*METHODS@#The study was designed as a multicenter, open-label, randomized controlled trial. Eligible patients who were taking tofacitinib (5 mg twice daily) and had achieved sustained RA remission or low disease activity (disease activity score in 28 joints [DAS28] ≤3.2) for at least 3 months were enrolled at six centers in Shanghai, China. Patients were randomly assigned (1:1:1) to one of three treatment groups: continuation of tofacitinib (5 mg twice daily); reduction in tofacitinib dose (5 mg daily); and withdrawal of tofacitinib. Efficacy and safety were assessed up to 6 months.@*RESULTS@#Overall, 122 eligible patients were enrolled, with 41 in the continuation group, 42 in the dose-reduction group, and 39 in the withdrawal group. After 6 months, the percentage of patients with a DAS28-erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) of <3.2 was significantly lower in the withdrawal group than that in the reduction and continuation groups (20.5%, 64.3%, and 95.1%, respectively; P < 0.0001 for both comparisons). The average flare-free time was 5.8 months for the continuation group, 4.7 months for the dose reduction group, and 2.4 months for the withdrawal group.@*CONCLUSION@#Withdrawal of tofacitinib in patients with RA with stable disease control resulted in a rapid and significant loss of efficacy, while standard or reduced doses of tofacitinib maintained a favorable state.@*TRIAL REGISTRATION@#Chictr.org, ChiCTR2000039799.
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Humans , Quality of Life , China , Arthritis, Rheumatoid/drug therapy , Piperidines/therapeutic use , Treatment Outcome , Antirheumatic Agents/therapeutic use , Pyrroles/therapeutic useABSTRACT
Objective:To investigate the impact of nursing simulation training combined with mentor responsibility system teaching on the thinking ability and core competence of interns receiving surgical nursing training.Methods:A total of 96 nursing students who were trained in Department of General Surgery in our hospital were selected as subjects, and they were randomly divided into control group (conventional teaching+mentor responsibility system) and observation group (nursing simulation training+mentor responsibility system) using a random number table, with 48 students in each group. The two groups were compared in terms of assessment score, clinical thinking ability, creative ability, core competence, and degree of satisfaction with teaching. SPSS 24.0 was used for the t-test, the chi-square test, and the Fisher's exact test. Results:After teaching, the observation group had significantly higher theoretical[(75.92±1.15) vs. (73.01±0.89)] and skill test scores[(16.96±1.17) vs. (15.10±1.03)] than the control group ( P<0.05). After teaching, both groups had significant increases in the scores of evidence-based thinking, critical thinking, and systematic thinking abilities, and the observation group had significantly higher scores than the control group ( P<0.05). After teaching, both groups had significant increases in the scores of curiosity, adventure, challenge, and imagination, and the observation group had significantly higher scores than the control group ( P<0.05). After teaching, both groups had significant increases in the scores of practical ability, organization and communication, quality evaluation improvement, critical thinking, scientific research innovation, and training guidance, and the observation group had significantly higher scores than the control group ( P<0.05). After teaching, the observation group had significantly higher scores of each dimension of teaching satisfaction than the control group ( P<0.05). Conclusion:Nursing simulation training combined with mentor responsibility system teaching can effectively improve the teaching quality of surgical nursing training, enhance clinical thinking ability and core competence, and increase the degree of satisfaction with teaching.
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Juvenile myoclonic epilepsy(JME)is a common subtype of idiopathic generalized epilepsy(IGE).Genetic factors play an important role in JME.Multiple genes and chromosomal loci have been found to be associated with the onset of JME.According to the different mechanisms involved in gene mutations causing JME,JME related genes can be divided into ion channel genes and non-ion channel genes.The mechanism of action of ion channel genes has gradually been clarified which only accounts for a few cases.The mechanism of action of JME related non-ion channel genes is not yet clear.This article will review the research progress of JME related non-ion channel genes from three aspects:neurotransmitter related genes(CHRNA4,GRM4,SLC6A4),nervous system development related genes(TOP3B,CILK1,BRD2,EFHC1)and other related genes(TAP-1,CX36).
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Objective:To explore the regulatory mechanism of α-synuclein in the degradation of autophagy-lysosome pathway(ALP) in Parkinson disease(PD) model cells after interference or overexpression of dynein heavy chain(Dynhc) gene.Methods:SH-SY5Y cells were divided into control group, PD group, Dynhc interference group, Dynhc overexpression group, and Dynhc interference+ rapamycin group according to experimental requirements.Using Western blot to detect Dynhc, α-synuclein, microtubule-associated protein l light chain 3 (LC3), lysosome-associated membrane protein 2 (LAMP2), tubulin, dynein activator protein p150, and kinesin KIF5B.Flow cytometry was used to detect the level of cell apoptosis.Immunoconfocal microscopy was used to observe the structure of tubulin and the co-localization of LC3 and LAMP.SPSS 23.0 software was used for statistical analysis.One-way ANOVA was used for inter group comparisons, and further pairwise comparisons were conducted by LSD- t test. Results:There were statistically significant differences in the expression of α-synuclein, autophagy-related proteins, microtubules, and microtubule-related proteins among cells in the 5 groups(all P<0.001). The protein expression levels of Dynhc, α-synuclein, LC3, LAMP2, p150, and KIF5B in the PD group were higher than those in the control group (all P<0.05). The protein levels of Dynhc, LAMP2, tubulin and p150 in the Dynhc interference group were lower than those in the PD group (all P<0.05), while the protein levels of α-synuclein, LC3 and KIF5B were higher than those in the PD group (all P<0.05). The protein levels of α-synuclein, LC3, and KIF5B in the Dynhc overexpression group were lower than those in the PD group (all P<0.05), while the protein levels of Dynhc, LAMP2 and p150 were higher than those in the PD group (all P<0.05). The protein level of LC3 in the Dynhc interference+ rapamycin group was higher than that in the Dynhc interference group ( P<0.05). There were no statistically significant differences in the protein levels of Dynhc, α-synuclein, LAMP2, microtubule protein, p150 and KIF5B compared to the Dynhc interference group (all P>0.05). Compared with the control group, the cell apoptosis rate in PD group increased((12.77±1.66)%, (7.64±1.45)%), the microtubule morphology remained unchanged, and autophagosomes fused more with lysosomes. Compared with the PD group, the cell apoptosis rate of Dynhc overexpression group decreased, and there was no significant change in microtubule structure, and there was more fusion between autophagosomes and lysosomes.Compared with the PD group, the cell apoptosis rat of Dynhc interference group increased((18.45±1.91)%), and the microtubule morphology was sparse, and there was less fusion between autophagosomes and lysosomes. Compared with the PD group, the Dynhc overexpression group showed a decrease in cell apoptosis rate ((9.95±1.56)%), no significant changes in microtubule structure, and more fusion between autophagosomes and lysosomes.Compared with the Dynhc interference group, the Dynhc interference+ rapamycin group showed no significant changes in cell apoptosis rate ((19.05±2.46)%), microtubule morphology, and fusion of autophagosomes and lysosomes. Conclusion:Dynhc can reduce cell apoptosis by enhancing cell ALP function, increasing the degradation of α-synuclein and maintaining of microtubule structure integrity.
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Hemorrhagic transformation (HT) is a serious complication after acute ischemic stroke, leading to increased adverse outcomes and mortality. In recent years, there has been an increasing number of studies in predicting HT occurrence, but most of the existing studies have focused on patients accepted reperfusion therapy, and few studies have predicted spontaneous HT. This article provides a review of epidemiology, risk factors, and available prediction models for prediction of spontaneous HT after acute ischemic stroke.
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Objective To establish a scoring system based on the preoperative serum levels of alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP), and to investigate its value in predicting the prognosis of patients with resectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Methods A retrospective analysis was performed for 154 HCC patients who underwent hepatectomy as the initial treatment in Tianjin First Central Hospital from January 2016 to August 2019. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to determine the optimal cut-off values of serum AFP and ALP; the Kaplan-Meier curve and the log-rank test were used for survival analysis to evaluate the relationship between the AFP-ALP score and disease-free survival (DFS); univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses were used to identify the independent prognostic factors for HCC patients. The independent samples t -test was used for comparison of normally distributed continuous data between groups, and the Mann-Whitney U test was used for comparison of non-normally distributed continuous data between groups; the chi-square test was used for comparison of categorical data between groups. Results The ROC curve analysis showed that serum AFP had an optimal cut-off value of 250.0 ng/mL and an area under the ROC curve (AUC) of 0.674 (95% confidence interval [ CI ]: 0.580-0.767) in predicting DFS, while serum ALP had an optimal cut-off value of 95.5 U/L and an AUC of 0.745 (95% CI : 0.652-0.838). The survival analysis showed that high preoperative serum levels of AFP (≥250.0 ng/mL) and ALP (≥95.5 U/L) were significantly associated with the poor prognosis of HCC patients ( P < 0.001). Based on the AFP-ALP score, all HCC patients were further divided into 0-point group (AFP < 250.0 ng/mL and ALP < 95.5 U/L), 1-point group (AFP≥250.0 ng/mL, ALP < 95.5 U/L; or AFP < 250.0 ng/mL, ALP ≥95.5 U/L), and 2-point group (AFP≥250.0 ng/mL and ALP≥95.5 U/L). The survival curves showed that the 0-, 1-, and 2-point groups had a median DFS of 60.0 (56.7-67.3) months, 20.0 (1.4-36.6) months, and 13.0(7.9-18.0) months, respectively, and there were significant survival differences between the three groups ( P < 0.05). Serum AFP-ALP score (1 point vs 0 point: hazard ratio [ HR ]=4.060, 95% confidence interval [ CI ]: 2.050-8.039, P < 0.001; 2 points vs 0 point: HR =4.583, 95% CI : 2.385-8.805, P < 0.001) was an independent prognostic factor for HCC patients. Conclusion The scoring system based on the serum levels of AFP and ALP can effectively identify HCC patients with poor prognosis, and therefore, it might be used as a simple and reliable tool for prognostic assessment in the clinical treatment of HCC.
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Aim To explore the effect of ZLY18 on angiotensin II-induced cardiac fibrosis and the underlying mechanism. Methods Ang II was used to induce cardiac fibrosis in vitro and in vivo. Cardiac fibroblasts were divided into blank control group, model group and medicine group. The medicine group was subdivided into ZLY18(L)group, ZLY18(M)group and ZLY18(H)group. Compound ZLY18 was given 1, 2, 5 μmol·L-1 respectively. C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into control group, model group and medicine group. The medicine group were subdivided into ZLY18(L)group, ZLY18(M)group and ZLY18(H)group. Compound ZLY18 was given 10,20 and 50 mg·kg-1 respectively. Both the model group and the medicine group were given with Ang II to induce cardiac fibrosis. The changes of protein levels were detected by Western blot and immunofluorescence. The changes of cardiac function indexes in C57BL/6 mice were detected by small animal echocardiography. The morphology, cell arrangement and collagen fibers of cardiac fibroblasts were observed by tissue section staining and other methods. Results The model of Ang II-induced myocardial fibrosis was successfully established at the cell and animal levels, and ZLY18 treatment improved the elevated fibrosis-related protein caused by Ang II and abnormal cardiac function in mice. Moreover, ZLY18 was able to inhibit the increased phosphorylation of TGF-1 and Smad3 caused by Ang II and increased Smad2/3 nuclear entry, suggesting that the antifibrotic effect of ZLY18 might be related to the activation of TGF-1/Smads signaling pathway. Conclusions ZLY18 has a protective effect on Ang II-induced cardiac fibrosis. ZLY18 may inhibit TGF-β/Smads signaling pathway activation to exert anti-fibrotic effects.
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Objective:To explore the clinical characteristics, treatment regimens and prognostic influencing factors of patients with multiple myeloma (MM) involving central nervous system (CNS).Methods:The clinical data of 18 MM patients involving CNS in Second Affiliated Hospital of Naval Medical University from January 2014 to June 2020 were retrospectively analyzed. Their clinical characteristics, treatment and prognosis were also analyzed. Kaplan-Meier method was used to make survival analysis and log-rank was performed; Cox proportional risk model was used to make univariate and multivariate analysis.Results:The cohort of 18 patients included 12 males and 6 females; the median age of patients involving CNS was 54 years (38-71 years). The median time from diagnosis to the involvement of CNS was 22 months (0-126 months).Among 18 patients, 1 case was primary MM involving CNS, and 17 cases were secondary MM involving CNS. All patients had Durie-Salmon (DS) stage Ⅲ; 10 cases had international staging system (ISS) stage Ⅲ, 6 cases had ISS stage Ⅱ, and 2 cases had ISS stage Ⅰ. Involvement sites of CNS included 7 cases of involving the dura mater alone and 4 cases of involving the pia mater alone, 2 cases of involving brain parenchyma and 5 cases of involving both meninges and brain parenchyma. The most common neurological symptoms were headache and cranial nerve palsy, and 9 patients had multiple neurological symptoms. All patients received systemic therapy, 16 patients received an intrathecal injection and/or radiotherapy; and the overall effective rate was 66.7%, including 3 achieving strict complete remission (sCR), 1 achieving complete remission (CR), 3 achieving very good partial remission (VGPR), 5 achieving partial remission (PR). The median overall survival (OS) was 32.7 months. Counting from the point of CNS involvement, the median progression-free survival (PFS) and OS time was 7.5 months, 12.2 months, respectively. The median PFS of MM patients in the dura-involved alone group was longer than that in the non-dura-involved alone group (15.1 months vs. 5.9 months, P = 0.009); the median OS of MM patients in the dura-involved alone group was longer than that in the non-dura-involved alone group (16.9 months vs. 10.7 months, P = 0.175). Multivariate Cox analysis showed that dura mater involvement alone was an independent factor affecting PFS in MM patients with CNS involvement ( HR = 0.191,95% CI 0.038-0.952, P = 0.043). Conclusions:MM involving CNS is rarely found and has a very poor prognosis. Different sites of CNS involvement could affect the prognosis of patients. There is a lack of effective treatment regimens.
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Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) external therapy for sleep disorder of chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) has good anti-fatigue effect and can improve sleep quality of patients. The treatment for sleep disorders of CFS with TCM external treatment mainly adopts acupuncture, moxibustion, massage, TCM bath, transcutaneous acupoint electrical stimulation and auricular point sticking, etc., or alone, or comprehensive application, or combined with oral Chinese materia medica. The appropriate treatment method can be selected according to the patients' condition and compliance, which reflects the unique advantages of TCM syndrome differentiation and treatment and the treatment according to people and time. The existing research still needs to further form a standardized and recognized diagnosis and treatment system, so as to better guide clinical popularization and application.
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Liquid biopsy is a technology that exhibits potential to detect cancer early,monitor therapies,and predict cancer prognosis due to its unique characteristics,including noninvasive sampling and real-time analysis.Circulating tumor cells(CTCs)and extracellular vesicles(EVs)are two important components of circu-lating targets,carrying substantial disease-related molecular information and playing a key role in liquid biopsy.Aptamers are single-stranded oligonucleotides with superior affinity and specificity,and they can bind to targets by folding into unique tertiary structures.Aptamer-based microfluidic platforms offer new ways to enhance the purity and capture efficiency of CTCs and EVs by combining the advantages of microfluidic chips as isolation platforms and aptamers as recognition tools.In this review,we first briefly introduce some new strategies for aptamer discovery based on traditional and aptamer-based micro-fluidic approaches.Then,we subsequently summarize the progress of aptamer-based microfluidics for CTC and EV detection.Finally,we offer an outlook on the future directional challenges of aptamer-based microfluidics for circulating targets in clinical applications.