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Objective@#To quantitatively assess the pulmonary vasculature using non-contrast computed tomography (CT) in patients with chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) pre- and post-treatment and correlate CT-based parameters with right heart catheterization (RHC) hemodynamic and clinical parameters. @*Materials and Methods@#A total of 30 patients with CTEPH (mean age, 57.9 years; 53% female) who received multimodal treatment, including riociguat for ≥ 16 weeks with or without balloon pulmonary angioplasty and underwent both noncontrast CT for pulmonary vasculature analysis and RHC pre- and post-treatment were included. The radiographic analysis included subpleural perfusion parameters, including blood volume in small vessels with a cross-sectional area ≤ 5 mm 2 (BV5) and total blood vessel volume (TBV) in the lungs. The RHC parameters included mean pulmonary artery pressure (mPAP), pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR), and cardiac index (CI). Clinical parameters included the World Health Organization (WHO) functional class and 6-minute walking distance (6MWD). @*Results@#The number, area, and density of the subpleural small vessels increased after treatment by 35.7% (P < 0.001), 13.3% (P = 0.028), and 39.3% (P < 0.001), respectively. The blood volume shifted from larger to smaller vessels, as indicated by an 11.3% increase in the BV5/TBV ratio (P = 0.042). The BV5/TBV ratio was negatively correlated with PVR (r = -0.26; P = 0.035) and positively correlated with CI (r = 0.33; P = 0.009). The percent change across treatment in the BV5/TBV ratio correlated with the percent change in mPAP (r = -0.56; P = 0.001), PVR (r = -0.64; P < 0.001), and CI (r = 0.28; P = 0.049).Furthermore, the BV5/TBV ratio was inversely associated with the WHO functional classes I–IV (P = 0.004) and positively associated with 6MWD (P = 0.013). @*Conclusion@#Non-contrast CT measures could quantitatively assess changes in the pulmonary vasculature in response to treatment and were correlated with hemodynamic and clinical parameters.
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Objective To investigate the value of spleen volume (SV) in predicting portal hypertensive gastropathy (PHG) and severe PHG in patients with liver cirrhosis. Methods A retrospective analysis was performed for the clinical data of 168 patients with liver cirrhosis who were admitted to Xiangyang No.1 People's Hospistal Affiliated to Hubei University of Medicine from January 2018 to August 2022, and with the results of gastroscopy as the gold standard, these patients were divided into non-PHG group with 115 patients and PHG group with 53 patients; the PHG group was further divided into mild PHG group with 26 patients and severe PHG group with 27 patients. All patients underwent electronic gastroscopy, abdominal magnetic resonance imaging, and serological examination to obtain related indices and parameters. The group t -test was used for comparison of normally distributed continuous data between two groups, and the Mann-Whitney U test was used for comparison of non-normally distributed continuous data between two groups; the chi-square test was used for comparison of categorical data between two groups. A multivariate Logistic regression analysis was used to screen out the independent risk factors for PHG and severe PHG, and the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to compare the predictive value of related indices or parameters. The area under the Roccurve is compared using Delong test. Results The univariate analysis showed that there were significant differences between the PHG group and the non-PHG group in sex, presence or absence of ascites, hemoglobin (Hb), platelet count (PLT), aspartate aminotransferase, total bilirubin, albumin (Alb), prothrombin time, international normalized ratio, Child-Pugh class, FIB-4 score, King score, Lok score, spleen diameter (SD), SV, platelet count/spleen diameter ratio (PSDR), and platelet count/spleen volume ratio (PSVR) (all P < 0.05), and there were significant differences in Hb, PLT, Alb, SD, SV, PSDR, and PSVR between the mild PHG group and the severe PHG group (all P < 0.05). The multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that FIB-4 score (odds ratio [ OR ]=1.280, 95% confidence interval [ CI ]: 1.009-1.625, P < 0.05) and SV ( OR =1.007, 95% CI : 1.001-1.013, P < 0.05) were independent risk factors for PHG, and SV ( OR =0.990, 95% CI : 0.980-1.000, P < 0.05) was an independent influencing factor for severe PHG. The ROC curve analysis showed that in predicting PHG, SV had a larger area under the ROC curve (AUC) than FIB-4 score (0.884 vs 0.825, P < 0.05), with a sensitivity of 0.774 and a specificity of 0.870 at the optimal cut-off value of 406.82; in predicting the onset of severe PHG, SV had an AUC of 0.782, with a sensitivity of 0.593 and a specificity of 0.962 at the optimal cut-off value of 714.63. Conclusion SV has a good value in predicting the onset of PHG and severe PHG.
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In situ and real-time monitoring of responsive drug release is critical for the assessment of pharmacodynamics in chemotherapy. In this study, a novel pH-responsive nanosystem is proposed for real-time monitoring of drug release and chemo-phototherapy by surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS). The Fe3O4@Au@Ag nanoparticles (NPs) deposited graphene oxide (GO) nanocomposites with a high SERS activity and stability are synthesized and labeled with a Raman reporter 4-mercaptophenylboronic acid (4-MPBA) to form SERS probes (GO-Fe3O4@Au@Ag-MPBA). Furthermore, doxorubicin (DOX) is attached to SERS probes through a pH-responsive linker boronic ester (GO-Fe3O4@Au@Ag-MPBA-DOX), accompanying the 4-MPBA signal change in SERS. After the entry into tumor, the breakage of boronic ester in the acidic environment gives rise to the release of DOX and the recovery of 4-MPBA SERS signal. Thus, the DOX dynamic release can be monitored by the real-time changes of 4-MPBA SERS spectra. Additionally, the strong T2 magnetic resonance (MR) signal and NIR photothermal transduction efficiency of the nanocomposites make it available for MR imaging and photothermal therapy (PTT). Altogether, this GO-Fe3O4@Au@Ag-MPBA-DOX can simultaneously fulfill the synergistic combination of cancer cell targeting, pH-sensitive drug release, SERS-traceable detection and MR imaging, endowing it great potential for SERS/MR imaging-guided efficient chemo-phototherapy on cancer treatment.
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Objective: To explore the effect and mechanism of small GTP-binding protein GDP dissociation stimulator (SmgGDS) on the development of obesity. Methods: (1) 8-week-old C57BL/6J mice were randomly assigned to normal diet and high fat diet group, with 6 mice in each group. They were fed regular feed and a high fat diet containing 60% fat for 4 months, respectively. The expression of SmgGDS in epididymal adipose tissue (eWAT), liver, and skeletal muscle were measured using Western-blot. (2) 6-week-old wild-type (WT) and SmgGDS knockdown (KD) mice were divided into four groups, each receiving high fat diet for 4 months (7 in each group) and 7 months (9 in each group). Glucose tolerance test (GTT) and insulin tolerance test (ITT) were conducted; The weight, adipose tissue, and liver weight of mice were recorded; HE staining examined adipose tissue structural changes; Western-blot determined extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) 1/2 phosphorylation levels in eWAT; Real time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) was used to detect mRNA levels of CCAAT/enhancer binding protein α (C/EBPα), C/EBPβ and peroxisome proliferator activated receptor γ (PPARγ) in eWAT. (3) Mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) extracted from WT and KD mice were induced for differentiation. Oil red O staining and Western-blot were used to detect lipid droplet and expression of SmgGDS and phospho-ERK; C/EBPα, C/EBPβ and PPARγ mRNA levels were measured using RT-qPCR. (4) 10-week-old C57BL/6J mice were randomly assigned into two groups, with 7 mice in each group. Mice were infected with SmgGDS overexpressing adeno-associated virus (AAV-SmgGDS) or empty vector intraperitoneally, then fed with high fat diet. After 4 weeks, performed GTT and ITT; Recorded the weight and adipose tissue weight of mice; HE staining was used to analyze structural changes of eWAT; Western-blot was used to detect the phosphorylation level of ERK in eWAT. Results: (1) The expression of SmgGDS was significantly upregulated in eWAT of high fat diet fed mice (normal diet group: 0.218±0.037, high fat diet group:0.439±0.072, t=2.74, P=0.034). (2) At 4 months of high fat diet intervention, the glucose tolerance (60 minutes after glucose injection, WT group: 528 mg/dl±21 mg/dl, KD group: 435 mg/dl±17 mg/dl, t=3.47, P=0.030; 90 minutes, WT group: 463 mg/dl±24 mg/dl, KD group: 366 mg/dl±18 mg/dl, t=3.23, P=0.047;120 minutes, WT group: 416 mg/dl±21 mg/dl, KD group: 297 mg/dl±16 mg/dl, t=4.49, P=0.005) and insulin sensitivity (15 minutes after insulin injection, WT group: 77.79%±3.45%, KD group: 54.30%±2.92%, t=3.49, P=0.005; 30 minutes, WT group: 62.27%±5.31%, KD group: 42.25%±1.85%, t=2.978, P=0.024; 90 minutes, WT group: 85.69%±6.63%, KD group: 64.71%±5.41%, t=3.120, P=0.016) of KD mice were significantly improved compared to the WT group, with an increase in eWAT weight ratio (WT: 4.19%±0.18%, KD: 5.12%±0.37%, t=2.28, P=0.042), but a decrease in average adipocyte area (WT group: 5221 μm²±241 μm², KD group: 4410 μm²±196 μm², t=2.61, P=0.026). After 7 months of high fat diet, the eWAT weight ratio of KD mice decreased (WT: 5.02%±0.20%, KD: 3.88%±0.21%, t=3.92, P=0.001) and adipocyte size decreased (WT group: 6 783 μm²±390 μm², KD group: 4785 μm²±303 μm², t=4.05, P=0.002). The phospho-ERK1 in eWAT increased (WT group: 0.174±0.056, KD group: 0.588±0.147, t=2.64, P=0.025), and mRNA level of PPARγ significantly decreased (WT group: 1.018±0.128, KD group: 0.029±0.015, t=7.70, P=0.015). (3) The expression of SmgGDS was significantly increased in differentiated MEF (undifferentiated: 6.789±0.511, differentiated: 10.170±0.523, t=4.63, P=0.010); SmgGDS knock-down inhibited lipid droplet formation in MEF (WT group: 1.00±0.02, KD group: 0.88±0.02, t=5.05, P=0.007) and increased ERK1 (WT group: 0.600±0.179, KD group: 1.325±0.102, t=3.52, P=0.025) and ERK2 (WT group: 2.179±0.687, KD group: 5.200±0.814, t=2.84, P=0.047) activity, which can be reversed by ERK1/2 inhibitor. (4) SmgGDS over expression resulted in weight gain, increased eWAT weight (control group: 3.29%±0.36%, AAV-SmgGDS group: 4.27%±0.26%, t=2.20, P=0.048) and adipocyte size (control group: 3525 μm²±454 μm², AAV-SmgGDS group: 5326 μm²±655 μm², t=2.26, P=0.047), impaired insulin sensitivity(30 minutes after insulin injection, control group: 44.03%±4.29%, AAV-SmgGDS group: 62.70%±2.81%, t=3.06, P=0.019), and decreased ERK1 (control group: 0.829±0.077, AAV-SmgGDS group: 0.326±0.036, t=5.96, P=0.001)and ERK2 (control group: 5.748±0.287, AAV-SmgGDS group: 2.999±0.845, t=3.08, P=0.022) activity in eWAT. Conclusion: SmgGDS knockdown improves obesity related glucose metabolism disorder by inhibiting adipogenesis and adipose tissue hypertrophy, which is associated with ERK activation.
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Current clinical approaches for septic shock increasingly incorporate bundle treatment, a multi-component approach that uses a collection of tests and agents to assist in the identification and treatment of infection. The present study analyzed completion rates of 3 h and 6 h bundle treatment among patients with septic shock in intensive care units (ICUs) of hospitals in Jiangsu Province from 2016 to 2020, using data from the Jiangsu Provincial Intensive Care Medical Quality Control Center. Current approaches and factors affecting treatment completion were assessed.The completion rates of 3 h and 6 h bundle treatment in ICUs of all medical units in Jiangsu Province and in ICUs of hospitals of different levels were recorded. Analyses show that the completion rate of 3 h and 6 h bundle treatment for patients with septic shock in ICUs in Jiangsu Province increased year by year from 2016 to 2020.The completion rate of 3 h bundle treatment increased from 69.82% (3 604/5 162) to 82.47% (8 915/10 775) (all P<0.001). The completion rate of 6 h bundle treatment increased from 62.69% (3 236/5 162) to 72.54% (7 816/10 775) (all P<0.001). In addition, year by year, the completion rate of 3 h bundle treatment in ICUs in tertiary hospitals increased, from 69.80% (3 596/5 152) to 82.23% (7 375/8 969), while the completion rate of 6 h bundle treatment increased from 62.69% (3 230/5 152) to 72.18% (6 474/8 969) (all P<0.001). Completion rates in secondary hospitals also increased year by year, from 80.00% (8/10) to 85.27% (1 540/1 806) for 3 h treatment and from 60.00% (6/10) to 74.31% (1 342/1 806) (all P<0.001) for 6 h treatment. Completion rates for 3 h treatment in first-tier cities (83.99% (2 099/2 499)) and second-tier cities (84.68% (3 952/4 667)) was higher than in third-tier cities (79.36% (2 864/3 609)). The completion rate of 6 h bundle treatment gradually decreased in first-line (77.19% (1 929/2 499)), second-line (74.37% (3 471/4 667)), and third-line (66.94% (2 416/3 609)) cities (all P<0.001). The data collectively show that from 2016 to 2020, the completion rate of bundle treatment in septic shock patients in ICUs in Jiangsu Province improved significantly.
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Humans , Shock, Septic/therapy , Critical Care , Intensive Care Units , Tertiary Care Centers , Sepsis/therapyABSTRACT
@#Gut microbiota and its metabolites in various human diseases have gradually become a research hotspot in the current medical community. And coronary artery disease is currently one of the most threatening clinical cardiovascular diseases in the world, so the use of gut microbiota and its metabolites in the development of its pathophysiology has also received more and more attention. Therefore, this paper reviews the effects of gut microbiota and its metabolites on coronary artery disease, as well as the research progress of intervening gut microbiota and its metabolites as therapeutic targets, hoping to expand the future research direction in this field and provide new ideas with treating coronary artery disease.
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Objective:To evaluate the performance of an artificial intelligent (AI)-based automated digital cell morphology analyzer (hereinafter referred as AI morphology analyzer) in detecting peripheral white blood cells (WBCs).Methods:A multi-center study. 1. A total of 3010 venous blood samples were collected from 11 tertiary hospitals nationwide, and 14 types of WBCs were analyzed with the AI morphology analyzers. The pre-classification results were compared with the post-classification results reviewed by senior morphological experts in evaluate the accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, and agreement of the AI morphology analyzers on the WBC pre-classification. 2. 400 blood samples (no less than 50% of the samples with abnormal WBCs after pre-classification and manual review) were selected from 3 010 samples, and the morphologists conducted manual microscopic examinations to differentiate different types of WBCs. The correlation between the post-classification and the manual microscopic examination results was analyzed. 3. Blood samples of patients diagnosed with lymphoma, acute lymphoblastic leukemia, acute myeloid leukemia, myelodysplastic syndrome, or myeloproliferative neoplasms were selected from the 3 010 blood samples. The performance of the AI morphology analyzers in these five hematological malignancies was evaluated by comparing the pre-classification and post-classification results. Cohen′s kappa test was used to analyze the consistency of WBC pre-classification and expert audit results, and Passing-Bablock regression analysis was used for comparison test, and accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, and agreement were calculated according to the formula.Results:1. AI morphology analyzers can pre-classify 14 types of WBCs and nucleated red blood cells. Compared with the post-classification results reviewed by senior morphological experts, the pre-classification accuracy of total WBCs reached 97.97%, of which the pre-classification accuracies of normal WBCs and abnormal WBCs were more than 96% and 87%, respectively. 2. The post-classification results reviewed by senior morphological experts correlated well with the manual differential results for all types of WBCs and nucleated red blood cells (neutrophils, lymphocytes, monocytes, eosinophils, basophils, immature granulocytes, blast cells, nucleated erythrocytes and malignant cells r>0.90 respectively, reactive lymphocytes r=0.85). With reference, the positive smear of abnormal cell types defined by The International Consensus Group for Hematology, the AI morphology analyzer has the similar screening ability for abnormal WBC samples as the manual microscopic examination. 3. For the blood samples with malignant hematologic diseases, the AI morphology analyzers showed accuracies higher than 84% on blast cells pre-classification, and the sensitivities were higher than 94%. In acute myeloid leukemia, the sensitivity of abnormal promyelocytes pre-classification exceeded 95%. Conclusion:The AI morphology analyzer showed high pre-classification accuracies and sensitivities on all types of leukocytes in peripheral blood when comparing with the post-classification results reviewed by experts. The post-classification results also showed a good correlation with the manual differential results. The AI morphology analyzer provides an efficient adjunctive white blood cell detection method for screening malignant hematological diseases.
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Objective:To investigate the consistency between the iodine-unstained area and the pathological size of endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) specimens of superficial esophageal cancer.Methods:A retrospective study was performed on data of 32 patients with superficial esophageal cancer who accepted ESD from May 2019 to April 2020 in the First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine. The maximum transverse diameter and maximum longitudinal diameter of the iodine-unstained area were compared with the tumor pathological area. A size difference no more than 0.5 cm was considered as conformity, any difference between 0.5 and 1.0 cm was considered as non-conformity, and any difference no less than 1.0 cm was considered as serious non-conformity. At the same time, pink sign after spraying Lugo solution and the consistency of pink sign area with the iodine free area were observed.Results:A total of 32 patients with 33 lesions were enrolled in this study, including 23 males and 9 females and the age of the patients was 59.5±7.3 years. There were 19 (57.6%) lesions whose size of iodine-unstained area was consistent with the tumor pathological area. These 19 lesions were all positive for the pink sign, and the pink sign area overlapped with the iodine-unstained area. In addition, 4 (12.1%) iodine-unstained areas of the lesions did not match the size of the pathological area, and 10 (30.3%) iodine-unstained areas of the lesions were seriously inconsistent with the size of the pathological area. These 14 (42.4%) lesions were all positive for pink sign, and the pink sign area was significantly smaller than the iodine-unstained area. Among the 14 discordant lesions, 2 lesions underwent ESD according to the iodine-unstained area, which resulted in excessive resection and postoperative stenosis.Conclusion:Determining the extent of superficial esophageal cancer by iodine-unstained areas before ESD may lead to excessive resection of the lesions, which is related to the fact that the iodine-unstained areas of the lesions are sometimes significantly larger than the pink sign areas. Therefore, in order to achieve precise treatment, endoscopists can choose the iodine-unstained area with positive pink sign as the first choice for resection.
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Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disease that causes damage to multiple vital tissues and target organs, and lupus nephritis (LN) is a serious complication of SLE involving the kidneys. The use of glucocorticoids and immunosuppressants has been dominant in the treatment strategy of LN, while their adverse effects have also raised concerns. In recent years, the development and use of biologics have provided new ideas for the treatment of LN and have also achieved positive efficacy in several clinical trials in SLE and LN. Biologics can be divided into monoclonal antibodies and recombinant proteins, which exert therapeutic effects on SLE and LN through a variety of mechanisms at the cellular-molecular level. In this article, we review recent research advances in the treatment of SLE and LN from the perspective of the different mechanisms of action of biologics.
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Objective:To evaluate the efficacy and safety of belimumab combined with standard regimen in the treatment of active lupus nephritis (LN).Methods:It was a single-center, pre - and post-control retrospective study. The Data of active LN patients treated with belimumab combined with standard regimen in the Department of Nephrology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University from June 1, 2020 to June 30, 2022 were collected for analyzing the renal response rate and adverse reactions after belimumab treatment.Results:A total of 17 patients were included, including 14 females (82.35%). The age of the first medication was (26.06±2.64) years old, the median time of illness before the use of belimumab was 24.00 (8.50, 48.50) months, and the recurrence times before the use of belimumab was (1.24±1.03) times. All the 17 patients underwent renal biopsy. The main pathological types were type IV in 11 cases (11/17), type Ⅲ+V in 2 cases (2/17), type IV+V in 3 cases (3/17), and type V in 1 case (1/17). The dose of glucocorticoids was (22.95±8.30) mg/d in 1 year before belimumab administration. In 12 patients with LN who completed 24 weeks of belimumab treatment plan, the 24-hour urinary protein showed a downward trend, and there was a statistically significant difference compared with the baseline at 24 week [0.49 (0.15, 2.19) g vs. 2.83 (1.14, 4.11) g, Z=-2.100, P=0.036]. Compared with the baseline, serum albumin at 24 week increased by 29.36%, with statistically significant difference [(34.50±3.34) g/L vs. (26.67±5.75) g/L, t=-3.840, P=0.030]. The systemic lupus erythematosus disease activity index-2K score continued to decline, with statistically significant difference compared with baseline at 24 week (5.00±3.02 vs. 12.00±2.82, t=6.163, P<0.001). The lymphocyte count increased, and the difference was statistically significant compared with the baseline at 24 week [0.72(0.28, 2.39)×10 9/L vs. 0.30(0.19,0.34)×10 9/L, Z=-2.073, P=0.038]. There was a statistically significant difference between the glucocorticoids dosage at 24 week and the average glucocorticoids dosage 1 year before treatment [(11.25±6.35) mg/d vs. (22.60±9.75) mg/d, t=4.225, P=0.003]. After observation of belimumab for (38.13±22.93) weeks, patients had a complete response rate of 64.71% (11/17), a partial response rate of 17.65% (3/17), and an overall response rate of 82.35% (14/17). Relapse occurred in 1 case.No infusion-related reactions occurred in 17 patients. During the treatment, a total of 5 adverse events occurred, including 2 cases of pulmonary infection, 1 case each of sepsis, upper respiratory tract infection, and cytomegalovirus infection, which all improved after treatment and the subsequent treatment was not affected. Conclusion:Belimumab combined with standard regimen can improve the response rate of LN, reduce the recurrence rate, reduce the dosage of glucocorticoids, and control the overall adverse events with good prognosis.
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Objective:To explore eye movement characteristics in newly diagnosed, drug-naive Parkinson′s disease (PD) patients and their correlation with motor and non-motor symptoms.Methods:Seventy-five newly diagnosed, drug-naive PD patients and 46 healthy controls (HCs) were included in this cross-sectional study. Patients were recruited from the Department of Neurology, Shanghai Ninth People′s Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine from November 2017 to December 2021, while HCs were recruited from the local community during the same period. For PD patients, motor severity was measured with the modified Hoehn and Yahr stage, Movement Disorder Society Unified Parkinson′s Disease Rating Scale part Ⅲ and the Freezing of Gait questionnaire. Non-motor symptoms were evaluated by serial scales such as Non-Motor Symptoms Questionnaire, 16-item odor identification test from Sniffin Sticks, 17-item Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression, Chinese version of Mini-Mental State Examination, Montreal Cognitive Assessment Basic and REM Behavior Disorder Screening Questionnaire. All subjects underwent oculomotor test including pro-saccade task and smooth pursuit eye movement (SPEM) task in the horizontal direction via videonystagmography. Visually guided saccade latency, saccadic accuracy and gain in SPEM at three frequencies (0.1, 0.2, 0.4 Hz) of the horizontal axis were compared between the 2 groups. The association between key oculomotor parameters and clinical phenotypes was explored in PD patients. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analyses of eye movement parameters as independent factors were also performed for detecting PD from HCs, then combining the saccadic latency, saccadic accuracy and the most significant SPEM gain (0.4 Hz) as the model to distinguish PD from HCs.Results:Relative to HCs, newly diagnosed, drug-naive PD patients showed prolonged saccadic latency [(210.4±41.3) ms vs (191.3±18.9) ms, t=-3.445, P=0.001] and decreased saccadic accuracy (88.4%±6.8% vs 92.2%±6.1%, t=3.064, P=0.003). SPEM gain in PD was uniformly reduced at each frequency(0.1 Hz: 0.68±0.15 vs 0.74±0.14, t=2.261, P=0.026; 0.2 Hz: 0.72±0.16 vs 0.79±0.16, t=2.704, P=0.008; 0.4 Hz: 0.67±0.19 vs 0.78±0.19, t=2.937, P=0.004). The ROC analyses of saccade latency, saccadic accuracy and gain in SPEM at 0.1, 0.2, 0.4 Hz as independent factors for detecting PD from HCs showed that the area under the curve (AUC) of each parameter was lower than 0.7: the AUC of saccade latency was 0.641 ( P=0.010), the AUC of saccadic accuracy was 0.681 ( P=0.001), the AUC of gain in SPEM at 0.1 Hz was 0.616 ( P=0.032), at 0.2 Hz was 0.652 ( P=0.005), at 0.4 Hz was 0.660 ( P=0.003). Combining the saccadic latency, saccadic accuracy and the most significant SPEM gain (0.4 Hz) revealed that the model could significantly distinguish PD from HCs with an 80.4% sensitivity and a 73.3% specificity (AUC=0.780, P<0.001). Prolonged saccadic latency was correlated with long disease duration ( β=0.334, 95% CI 0.014-0.654, P=0.041), whereas decreased SPEM gain was associated with severe motor symptoms in newly diagnosed drug-naive PD patients (0.1 Hz: β=-0.004, 95% CI -0.008--0.001, P=0.036; 0.4 Hz: β=-0.006, 95% CI -0.011--0.001, P=0.012). Conclusions:Ocular movements are impaired in newly diagnosed, drug-naive PD patients. These changes could be indicators for disease progression in PD.
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Objective:To observe whether hair follicle cells from mice of different species can integrate to generate new pigmented hair follicles, and to explore the role of different melanocyte populations in pigmented hair follicle reconstruction in mice.Methods:The epidermal cell population, hair follicle epithelial cell population and dermal cell population were isolated from the skin of fetal or neonatal C57BL/6J and BALB/C mice, and epidermal melanocytes were obtained by culture and purification of the epidermal cell population. The experiments were divided into 3 parts: (1) hair follicle reconstruction experiment in neonatal C57BL/6J mice, which included 2 groups: epidermal cells + hair follicle epithelial cells group and dermal cells group; (2) chimeric hair follicle reconstruction experiment, which included 4 groups: dermal cells of neonatal C57BL/6J mice group, dermal cells of neonatal BALB/C mice group, dermal cells of neonatal BALB/C mice + dermal cells of neonatal C57BL/6J mice group, and dermal cells of fetal BALB/C mice + dermal cells of fetal C57BL/6J mice group; (3) pigmented hair follicle reconstruction experiment, which included 3 groups: dermal cells of neonatal BALB/C mice + epidermal cells of neonatal C57BL/6J mice group, dermal cells of neonatal BALB/C mice + hair follicle epithelial cells of neonatal C57BL/6J mice group, and dermal cells of neonatal BALB/C mice + cultured C57BL/6J epidermal melanocytes group. Different cells were implanted into dorsal skin fold chambers of the nude mice, and there were 4 mice in each group. At weeks 4 and 8 after inoculation, hair follicle reconstruction was assessed by gross observation, histological examination and immunofluorescence assay.Results:Among the 8 BALB/C nude mice in the 2 groups in the hair follicle reconstruction experiment, 7 survived and 1 died of wound infections on week 4 after inoculation; at weeks 4 and 8 after inoculation, no hair growth was observed in the epidermal cells + hair follicle epithelial cells group (3 mice) , while normal hair grew out in the dermal cells group (4 mice) mixed with epithelial components. Among the 16 BALB/C nude mice in the 4 groups in the chimeric hair follicle reconstruction experiment, 14 survived and 2 died of wound infections on week 4 after inoculation; at weeks 4 and 8 after inoculation, brown-grey hair grew well in the dermal cells of neonatal BALB/C mice + dermal cells of neonatal C57BL/6J mice group (4 mice) , and dermal cells of fetal BALB/C mice + dermal cells of fetal C57BL/6J mice group (3 mice) . Among the 12 BALB/C nude mice in the 3 groups in the pigmented hair follicle reconstruction experiment, 10 survived and 2 died of wound infections on week 4 after inoculation; at weeks 4 and 8 after inoculation, only white hair grew out in the dermal cells of neonatal BALB/C mice + cultured C57BL/6J epidermal melanocytes group (3 mice) , and no hair follicle melanocytes were observed by immunofluorescence assay, while brown-grey hair grew well in the dermal cells of neonatal BALB/C mice + epidermal cells of neonatal C57BL/6J mice group (4 mice) , and dermal cells of neonatal BALB/C mice + hair follicle epithelial cells of neonatal C57BL/6J mice group (3 mice) .Conclusions:The interaction between mesenchymal cells and hair follicle epithelial cells is a necessary condition for hair follicle reconstruction. The hair follicle cells from different species of mice can integrate to generate new pigmented hair follicles. Both hair follicle melanocytes and epidermal melanocytes can participate in the formation of pigmented hair follicles, but differentiated melanocytes have no such ability.
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Objective:To evaluate the role of small ubiquitin-associated modifier (SUMO) E3 ligase (PIAS)-regulated SUMOylation of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ) in the endogenous protective mechanism against endotoxin-induced acute lung injury (ALI) in mice.Methods:Experiment Ⅰ Twenty-four clean-grade wild type male C57BL/6 mice, aged 6-8 weeks, weighing 18-22 g, were divided into 4 groups ( n=6 each) using a random number table method: control group (C group), ALI group, ALI+ PPARγ inducer TZD group (ALI+ T group) and ALI+ TZD+ SUMOylation inhibitor anacardic acid group (ALI+ T+ A group). Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) 15 mg/kg was injected into the tail vein to develop the ALI model. In ALI+ T+ A group, anacardic acid 5 mg/kg was intraperitoneally injected at 1 h before LPS administration. In ALI+ T group and ALI+ T+ A group, TZD 50 mg/kg was intraperitoneally injected at 30 min before LPS administration. The mice were sacrificed at 12 h after LPS administration, and the lung tissues were obtained to examine the pathological changes which were scored and to determine the wet/dry (W/D) weight ratio, and expression of PIAS1, PIAS2, PIAS3 and PIASy protein and mRNA (by Western blot or polymerase chain reaction). Experiment Ⅱ Mouse alveolar macrophages (MH-S cells) were cultured in vitro and divided into 4 groups ( n=5 each) using a random number table method: control group (C group), LPS group, LPS+ PIAS2 siRNA group (L+ P group) and LPS+ Con siRNA group (L+ C group). Cells were routinely cultured in group C. Cells were stimulated with 10 μg/ml LPS to develop the model of endotoxin challenge. PIAS2 siRNA 50 nmol/L and Con siRNA 50 nmol/L were transfected at 48 h before LPS was added in L+ P group and L+ C group, respectively. The cells were collected at 24 h of incubation with LPS to determine the cell viability, levels of M1 and M2 alveolar macrophages (by flow cytometry), expression of PIAS2 and PPARγ (by Western blot), co-expression of PPARγ-SUMO1 (by immunoprecipitation) and expression of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) and interleukin-10 (IL-10) mRNA (by polymerase chain reaction). The ratio of M1/M2 was calculated. Results:Experiment Ⅰ Compared with C group, the lung injury scores and W/D ratio were significantly increased, and the expression of PIAS2 protein and mRNA was up-regulated in the other three groups ( P<0.05). Compared with ALI group, the lung injury scores and W/D ratio were significantly decreased, and the expression of PIAS2 protein and mRNA was up-regulated in ALI+ T group and ALI+ T+ A group ( P<0.05). Compared with ALI+ T group, the lung injury scores and W/D ratio were significantly increased, and the expression of PIAS2 protein and mRNA was down-regulated in ALI+ T+ A group ( P<0.05). There was no significant difference in the expression of PIAS1, PIAS3 and PIASy protein and mRNA in lung tissues among the four groups ( P>0.05). Experiment Ⅱ Compared with C group, the cell viability was significantly decreased, the expression of PPARγ and co-expression of PPARγ-SUMO1 was up-regulated, the levels of M1 and M2 macrophages and M1/M2 ratio were increased, the expression of TNF-α mRNA was up-regulated, and the expression of IL-10 mRNA was down-regulated in the other three groups, and PIAS2 expression was significantly up-regulated in L group and L+ C group ( P<0.05). Compared with L group, the cell viability was significantly decreased, the expression of PIAS2 and PPARγ and PPARγ-SUMO1 co-expression were down-regulated, the M1 macrophage level and M1/M2 ratio were increased, TNF-α mRNA expression was up-regulated, and the expression of IL-10 mRNA was down-regulated in L+ P group ( P<0.05), and no significant change was found in the parameters mentioned above in L+ C group ( P>0.05). Compared with L+ C group, the cell viability was significantly decreased, the expression of PIAS2 and PPARγ and co-expression of PPARγ-SUMO1 were down-regulated, the level of M1 alveolar macrophages and M1/M2 ratio were increased, the expression of TNF-α mRNA was down-regulated, and the expression of IL-10 mRNA was up-regulated in L+ P group ( P<0.05). Conclusions:PIAS2-regulated SUMOylation of PPARγ is the endogenous protective mechanism against endotoxin-induced ALI in mice, which may be related to inhibition of macrophage polarization into M1 type and alleviation of inflammatory responses.
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Objective:To evaluate the role of succinate dehydrogenase (SDH) in hypoxic postconditioning (HPC)-induced reduction of hypoxia-reoxygenation (H/R) injury in myocardial cells of rats and the relationship with mitochondrial ATP-sensitive potassium channels (mito-K ATP). Methods:Myocardial cells isolated from adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were cultured for 48 h and then divided into 7 groups ( n=24 each) using a random number table method: blank control group (Nor group), H/R group, SDHA-siRNA adenovirus+ H/R group (siRNA+ H/R group), HPC group, SDHA-siRNA adenovirus+ HPC group (siRNA+ HPC group), 5-HD+ HPC group, and SDHA-siRNA adenovirus+ 5-HD+ HPC group (siRNA+ 5-HD+ HPC group). Nor group was continuously cultured for 195 min under normoxic conditions. The H/R injury model was prepared by exposing the cells to hypoxia for 45 min in 5% CO 2 + 1% O 2 + 94% N 2, followed by reoxygenation for 150 min. The HPC method involved three cycles of 5 min reoxygenation/5 min hypoxia at the end of 45 min ischemia before 120 min reoxygenation. The mito-K ATP blocker 5-HD administration method involved adding 5-HD at a final concentration of 100 μmol/L at 30 min of hypoxia. The myocardial cells in each siRNA group were successfully transfected with SDHA-siRNA adenovirus to silence SDHA expression. The cell viability, calcium ion level, SDH activity, ATP content, degree of mitochondrial permeability transition pore (mPTP) opening, and mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) were measured at the end of reoxygenation. Results:Compared with Nor group, the cell viability, ATP content and MMP were significantly decreased, and the degree of mPTP opening, level of calcium ion and activity of SDH were increased in H/R group ( P<0.05). Compared with H/R group, the cell viability, ATP content and MMP were significantly increased, and the degree of mPTP opening, calcium ion level and SDH activity were decreased in siRNA+ H/R group and HPC group ( P<0.05). Compared with HPC group, the cell viability, ATP content and MMP were significantly decreased, and the degree of mPTP opening, calcium ion level and SDH activity were increased in 5-HD+ HPC group ( P<0.05), and the cell viability, ATP content and MMP were significantly increased, and the degree of mPTP opening, calcium ion level and SDH activity were decreased in siRNA+ HPC group ( P<0.05). Compared with siRNA+ HPC group, the cell viability, ATP content and MMP were significantly decreased, the opening degree of mPTP and calcium ion level were increased ( P<0.05), and no significant change was found in the SDH activity in siRNA+ 5-HD+ HPC group ( P>0.05). Compared with 5-HD+ HPC group, the SDH activity was significantly decreased, and no significant change was found in the other parameters in siRNA+ 5-HD+ HPC group ( P>0.05). Conclusions:HPC alleviates H/R injury probably by reducing SDH activity and opening mito-K ATP in myocardial cells of rats.
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Renal aging is a gradual process of degenerative changes in tissue structure and physiological function and is closely related to the occurrence and development of acute kidney injury(AKI)and chronic kidney disease(CKD). The cellular and molecular mechanisms of renal aging mainly include cellular senescence and reduced autophagy, and are regulated by nutritional factors.Promoting reasonable and moderate energy-and protein-restricted diets, strengthening the supervision of food additives and preservatives, cultivating safety awareness of residents, and strictly controlling the daily salt intake are potential nutritional intervention strategies to prevent and delay renal aging.Given the limited number of studies, there is an urgent need to further explore the effectiveness of the above strategies to provide a new evidence-based approach to formulating precise and feasible personalized nutritional intervention programs.
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Objective:To investigate the value of machine learning model based on 18F-FDG PET/CT radiomics features in preoperative differential diagnosis of gastric cancer (GC) and primary gastric lymphoma (PGL). Methods:A total of 155 patients with GC (104 males, 51 females; age (59.3±12.8) years) and 82 patients with PGL (40 males, 42 females; age (56.8±14.6) years) who underwent 18F-FDG PET/CT imaging before treatment from January 2012 to December 2020 in Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital were included in this retrospective study. Patients were randomly divided into training set and test set by using Python3.7.1 software. Volumes of interest (VOIs) in PET and CT images were drawn and two-dimensional and three-dimensional radiomics features were extracted. Two machine learning models, including multi-layer perceptron (MLP) and support vector machine (SVM), were established based on CT radiomics features alone, PET radiomics features alone and PET/CT radiomics features to differentiate GC and PGL, respectively. The predictive performance of each model was evaluated by ROC curve analysis. Results:There were 166 patients in training set and 71 patients in test set. Generally, SVM machine learning model based on PET/CT radiomics features showed a trend to be superior to MLP machine learning model in the differential diagnosis of GC and PGL (PET-SVM: AUC=0.88, 95% CI: 0.83-0.94); PET/CT-MLP: AUC=0.80, 95% CI: 0.73-0.87; z=1.15, P=0.337). The AUC of PET/CT-SVM machine learning model was significantly higher than that of CT-SVM machine learning model (CT-SVM: AUC=0.74, 95% CI: 0.67-0.81; z=2.28, P=0.022). Conclusion:Machine learning model based on 18F-FDG PET/CT radiomics features is expected to be a non-invasive, effective tool for preoperative differential diagnosis of GC and PGL.
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Objective:To evaluate the value of radiomic fusion features combined with extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost) machine learning models based on 18F-FDG PET/CT images in the prediction of human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) expression status in breast cancer. Methods:18F-FDG PET/CT images of 210 patients with primary breast cancer (all females; age 52(46, 60) years; 95 HER2-positive and 115 HER2-negative) in Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital between January 2012 and December 2019 were retrospectively analyzed. About 70% of the HER2-positive and HER2-negative groups were randomly selected using Python 3.7.1 software as a training set ( n=147; 67 HER2-positive and 80 HER2-negative, age: 52(46, 60) years vs 55(45, 62) years) and 30% as a test set ( n=63; 28 HER2-positive and 35 HER2-negative, age: 54(43, 65) years vs 52(45, 61) years). After tumor segmentation on CT and PET images being finished, CT and PET radiomic features were extracted respectively. PET/CT fusion features (including PET/CT splicing features and PET/CT mean features) were obtained through post-processing. The support vector machine (SVM) model and XGBoost model were established. The selected features were input to predict the expression status of HER2 in primary breast cancer lesions, and the prediction efficiency of the model was evaluated by ROC curve. The Delong test was used to compare the predictive effectiveness of different models and radiomic features, and the calibration curve of the machine learning model with the highest prediction efficiency was plotted. Results:Compared with SVM model, XGBoost model had better prediction performance ( z values: 2.26-3.54, P values: 0.016-0.040) when four kinds of radiomic features (CT features, PET features, PET/CT splicing features and PET/CT mean features) were input. ROC curve analysis showed that PET/CT mean features with XGBoost machine learning model had the best performance in predicting the expression status of HER2, and the maximum AUC was 0.83 (95% CI: 0.73-0.93), which was superior to CT features (0.75(95% CI: 0.63-0.88); z=3.57, P=0.027), PET features (0.73(95% CI: 0.60-0.86); z=2.64, P=0.034) and PET/CT splicing features (0.74(95% CI: 0.60-0.87); z=2.49, P=0.037). Conclusion:XGBoost machine learning model based on PET/CT radiomics fusion features is expected to predict HER2 expression status in patients with breast cancer.
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Objective:To investigate the application of diagnostic criteria for common occupational radiation-induced diseases to radiation workers, in order to provide a basis for the revision, publicity and standardization of the standards.Methods:Radiation workers were selected from 1 city, 7 provinces and 1 corporation by using cluster random sampling method from January 2021 to May 2021. Awareness of the criteria and the effects of ionizing radiation, and the suggestions for diagnostic works were investigated and analyzed.Results:A total of 2 839 radiation workers were investigated. There were differences in the awareness of different diagnostic criteria, the inclusions in complex diagnostic criteria, the materials required for applying for diagnosis, and the ways of knowing the diagnostic criteria( χ2=416.06, 2 924.14, 83.45, 895.67, 815.94, P<0.001). The correct understanding rates of deterministic effects and stochastic effects were 80.63% and 43.64%, respectively. The acceptance rates in applicable materials were 96.79% for occupational exposure history, 94.72% for occupational health monitoring records and 93.55% for individual monitoring of occupational exposure, respectively. Pre-employment training rate was 80.20%, on-job training rate was 81.19%, and untrained rate was 3.77%. The suggestions to the diagnosis of occupational radiation-induced diseases are to strengthen training, pay attention to individual monitoring, occupational health examination, and strengthen health supervision and law enforcement. Conclusions:Radiation workers have a low awareness rate of certain diagnostic standards and a high awareness rate of diagnostic procedures. Publicity and training of health effects of ionizing radiation and diagnostic criteria of occupational radiation-induced diseases should be strengthened. Diagnostic procedure should be optimized.
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Pain is a defensive response to body injury or potential injury, and is also the most common clinical manifestations in orthopedic trauma. Pain is critical to determine the causes of injury and therapeutic plans in the diagnosis and treatment of orthopedic trauma. Post-traumatic acute and chronic pain not only brings physical pain to patients, but also induces a variety of complications. Moreover, improper evaluation and management of pain can easily lead to missed diagnosis and misdiagnosis, thus prolonging the treatment cycle and affecting the quality of life. At present, the management of pain has no normative standard in the diagnosis and management of orthopedic trauma. Academician Zhang Yingze′s team has summarized the pain characteristics of various orthopedic trauma patients, traced back to the sources, and conduced the innovative concept of "pain" to get the melon to address issues such as insufficient pain assessment, incomplete etiology analysis and inadequate diagnostic thinking, hoping to achieve rapid and accurate diagnosis and early treatment. The authors elaborate on the connotation of the innovative concept of "pain" to get the melon and its application in clinical orthopedic trauma, aiming to explore the application value of this innovative concept, achieve rapid and accurate diagnosis of orthopedic trauma and provide a reference for formulating reasonable diagnosis and treatment programs.
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Objective:To explore the value of a new inflammatory index in predicting portal vein thrombosis in cirrhotic patients with Portal hypertension.Methods:This study was a single center cross-sectional study. The patients with portal hypertension who underwent portal vein computed tomography (CT) examination and hepatic vein pressure gradient (HVPG) measurement in the Minhang District Central Hospital of Shanghai from January 2019 to February 2023 due to cirrhosis were included. They were divided into thrombosis group and non thrombosis group according to whether portal vein thrombosis was combined or not. The predictive value of Monocyte lymphocyte ratio (MLR), neutrophil lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet lymphocyte ratio (PLR) and systemic immune inflammatory index (SII) for portal vein thrombosis was determined by logistic regression analysis and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve.Results:A total of 122 patients were ultimately included and were divided into a thrombus group of 20 and a non thrombus group of 102 based on portal vein CT results. The MLR and PLR of patients in the thrombotic group were significantly higher than those in the non thrombotic group ( P=0.038 7, P=0.040 7). There was no significant difference in hemoglobin, platelets, leukocytes, neutrophils, lymphocytes, monocyte, NLR, SII, albumin, alanine aminotransferase (ALT), total bilirubin, creatinine, prothrombin time, D-dimer, and C-reactive protein between the two groups (all P>0.05). The diagnosis model of portal vein thrombosis was constructed by logistic regression model. It was found that the area under the ROC of MLR combined with D-dimer and ascites was 0.900, the sensitivity was 0.850, and the specificity was 0.431. Conclusions:The new inflammatory index (including MLR and PLR) is significantly increased in cirrhotic patients with portal vein thrombosis. MLR combined with D-dimer and ascites can predict portal vein thrombosis in cirrhotic patients.