Differentiation syndrome and coagulation disorder - comparison between treatment with oral and intravenous arsenics in pediatric acute promyelocytic leukemia.

Realgar-Indigo naturalis formula (RIF), with A4S4 as a major ingredient, is an oral arsenic used in China to treat pediatric acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL). The efficacy of RIF is similar to that of arsenic trioxide (ATO). However, the effects of these two arsenicals on differentiation syndrome (DS) and coagulation disorders, the two main life-threatening events in children with APL, remain unclear. We retrospectively analyzed 68 consecutive children with APL from South China Children Leukemia Group-APL (SCCLG-APL) study. Patients received all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) on day 1 of induction therapy. ATO 0.16 mg/kg day or RIF 135 mg/kg·day was administrated on day 5, while mitoxantrone was administered on day 3 (non-high-risk) or days 2-4 (high-risk). The incidences of DS were 3.0% and 5.7% in ATO (n = 33) and RIF (n = 35) arms (p = 0.590), and 10.3% and 0% in patients with and without differentiation-related hyperleukocytosis (p = 0.04), respectively. Moreover, in patients with differentiation-related hyperleukocytosis, the incidence of DS was not significantly different between ATO and RIF arms. The dynamic changes of leukocyte count between arms were not statistically different. However, patients with leukocyte count > 2.61 × 109/L or percentage of promyelocytes in peripheral blood > 26.5% tended to develop hyperleukocytosis. The improvement of coagulation indexes in ATO and RIF arms was similar, with fibrinogen and prothrombin time having the quickest recovery rate. This study showed that the incidence of DS and recovery of coagulopathy are similar when treating pediatric APL with RIF or ATO.

[Electroencephalogram Features of Anti-N-Methyl-D-Aspartate Receptor Encephalitis and Their Value for Clinical Assessment].

Objective: To analyze the electroencephalogram (EEG) features of anti-N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor encephalitis (anti-NMDARE) and to study the clinical assessment value of the degree of EEG background slowing and the presence of δ brush. Methods: We enrolled 52 patients with anti-NMDARE and collected their clinical data, including age, sex, form of disease onset, status of tumor comorbidity, auxiliary examination findings (cerebrospinal fluid [CSF] anti-methyl-D-aspartate receptor antibody titers, magnetic resonance imaging [MRI] reports, and EEG results), treatment status, and follow-up after discharge. The degree of EEG background abnormality and the presence of δ brush in the EEG of patients with different clinical features were analyzed. Results: Among the 52 patients, 7 (14%) had normal EEG, and 45 (87%), abnormal EEG, including 25 (48%) with mild abnormalities, 11 (21%) with moderate abnormalities, and 9 (17%) with severe abnormalities. δ brush was seen in 6 (12%) patients. At the time of EEG, 32 (62%) patients were in the mild condition group and 20 (38%) patients were in the severe condition group. After 1 year of follow-up, there were 45 (86%) patients in the good prognosis group and 7 (14%) patients in the poor prognosis group. The exacerbation of EEG background abnormalities and the presence of δ brush were indications for an increase in the proportion of patients who were in severe condition, who needed ICU admission, and who had poor prognosis ( P<0.01). The worse the EEG background abnormalities, the higher the proportion of CSF antibody titers>1∶10 ( P=0.035), and the higher the proportion of patients initiating second-line immunotherapy ( P=0.008). The δ brush was seen a higher proportion in patients with comorbid tumors ( P=0.012). The probability of δ brush presence was higher in the first-time diagnosis cases than that in recurrent cases ( P=0.023). Conclusions: The degree of EEG slowing and the presence of δ brush have shown consistent performance in assessing patients' condition and predicting prognosis. The slower the EEG, the more severe the disease, and the worse the prognosis. The presence of δ brush indicates severe disease and poor prognosis. EEG slowing is correlated with the immune status of patients with anti-NMDARE. The slower the EEG, the more severe the immune abnormalities. In clinical practice, patient EEG should be under dynamic monitoring in order to evaluate the effect of immunotherapy. If EEG slowing is not improved, enhanced immunotherapy should be considered as early as possible. The δ brush is seen at a higher proportion in patients with comorbid tumors. Therefore, active efforts should be made to screen for tumors when δ brush is present.

Long non-coding RNA OGFRP1 regulates LYPD3 expression by sponging miR-124-3p and promotes non-small cell lung cancer progression.

Long noncoding RNA (OGFRP1) has been reported to be involved in the progression of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, the expression pattern, functions and molecular mechanisms of OGFRP1 in NSCLC remains unclear. In the present study, we found that OGFRP1 expression was significantly up-regulated in both NSCLC tissues and cell lines, and the upregulation of OGFRP1 expression is a powerful predictor of advanced clinical stage, lymph nodes metastasis and poor prognosis for NSCLC patients. Loss-of-function assay indicated that knockdown of OGFRP1 inhibited proliferation, migration and invasion, and induced apoptosis in vitro. Mechanistically, OGFRP1 could directly bind to miR-124-3p and effectively act as a competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) for miR-124-3p to promote the expression of the target gene LYPD3. Taken together, OGFRP1 contributed to progression of NSCLC at least partly through upregulating LYPD3 expression by sponging miR-124-3p, indicating that OGFRP1 may be a novel prognostic biomarker and therapeutic target in NSCLC.

Multicenter randomized trial of arsenic trioxide and Realgar-Indigo naturalis formula in pediatric patients with acute promyelocytic leukemia: Interim results of the SCCLG-APL clinical study.

Intravenous arsenic trioxide (ATO) has been adopted as the first-line treatment for acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL). Another arsenic compound named the Realgar-Indigo naturalis formula (RIF), an oral traditional Chinese medicine containing As4 S4 , has been shown to be highly effective in treating adult APL. In the treatment of pediatric APL, the safety and efficacy of RIF remains to be confirmed. This randomized, multicenter, and noninferiority trial was conducted to determine whether intravenous ATO can be substituted by oral RIF in the treatment of pediatric APL. From September 2011 to January 2017, among 92 patients who were 16 years old or younger with newly diagnosed PML-RARa positive APL, 82 met eligible criteria and were randomly assigned to ATO (n = 42) or RIF (n = 40) group. The remaining 10 patients did not fulfilled eligible criteria because five did not accept randomization, four died and one had hemiplegia prior to arsenic randomization due to intracranial hemorrhage or cerebral thrombosis. Induction and consolidation treatment contained ATO or RIF, all-trans-retinoic acid and low intensity chemotherapy. End points included event-free survival (EFS), adverse events and hospital days. After a median 3-year follow-up, the estimated 5-year EFS was 100% in both groups, and adverse events were mild. However, patients in the RIF group had significantly less hospital stay than those in the ATO group. This interim analysis shows that oral RIF is as effective and safe as intravenous ATO for the treatment of pediatric APL, with the advantage of reducing hospital stay. Final trial analysis will reveal mature outcome data.

Structures, Phase Transformations, and Dielectric Properties of BiTaO4 Ceramics.

Low (α)- and high-temperature (ß) forms of BiTaO4 have attracted much attention due to their dielectric and photocatalytic properties. In the present work, a third form, the so-called HP-BiTaO4, was synthesized at high temperature and pressure. The phase evolution, phase transformations, and dielectric properties of α- and ß-BiTaO4 and HP-BiTaO4 ceramics are studied in detail. ß-BiTaO4 ceramics densified at 1300 °C with the microwave permittivity εr ≈ 53, the microwave quality factor Qf ≈ 12070 GHz, and the temperature coefficient of resonant frequency τf ≈ -200 ppm/°C. HP-BiTaO4 ceramics were synthesized at 5 GPa and 1300 °C followed by annealing at 600 °C. In contrast with the α phase, HP-BiTaO4 exhibited εr ≈ 195 at 1 kHz to 10 MHz, accompanied by a low dielectric loss of ∼0.004. The relation between structure and dielectric properties is discussed in the context of Shannon's additive rule and bond theory.

Transformation of the endophytic fungus Acremonium implicatum with GFP and evaluation of its biocontrol effect against Meloidogyne incognita.

Acremonium implicatum is an endophytic fungus with biocontrol potential against Meloidogyne incognita based on its opportunistic egg-parasitic, hatching inhibition, and toxic properties. To understand its mode of plant endophytism and opportunistic egg parasitism, GFP-tagged A. implicatum was constructed by PEG-mediated protoplast transformation. By laser scanning confocal microscopy (LSCM), we evaluated the endophytism and opportunistic egg parasitism of a stable gfp transformant (Acr-1). Acr-1 could colonize epidermal tissue, cortical tissue, and xylem of roots and form a mutualistic symbiosis with tomato host plants. LSCM of Acr-1 infecting M. incognita eggs revealed that hyphae penetrated the shell and grew inside eggs to form trophic hyphae. A large number of hyphae enveloped parasitized eggs. In addition, the egg shell integrity was destroyed by fungal penetration. The percentage of egg parasitism was 33.8 %. There were no marked differences between the wild type and mutant in nematode second-stage juvenile mortality and egg hatching and in fungal control efficiency in a pot experiment. In conclusion, gfp-transformation did not change the nematicidal activity of A. implicatum and is a tool to examine the mode of plant endophytism and opportunistic egg parasitism of A. implicatum.

[Effects of Acupuncture on Neurofunction and Neuropsychological Factors of Chronic Alcoholic Peripheral Neuropathy Patients].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effects of acupuncture on neurofunction and neuropsychological factors of chronic alcoholic peripheral neuropathy (CAPN) patients. METHODS: Totally 120 CAPN patients were assigned to the common treatment group, acupuncture group A, and acupuncture group B according to random digit table, 40 in each group. All patients recieved conventional drug therapy. Besides, patients in the acupuncture group A were additionally needled at Pishu (BL20), Weishu (BL21), Xuehai (SP10), Yinlingquan (SP9), Zusanli (ST36), Yanglingquan (GB34), Jiexi (ST41), Xuanzhong (GB39), Xiangu (ST43),Taixi (KI3), Quchi (LI11), Waiguan (SJ5), Hegu (LI4), and so on. On these bases patients in the acupuncture group B were needled at Sishencong (EX-HN1), Yintang (EX-HN3), Neiguan (PC6), Taichong (LR3), Sanyinjiao (SP6), and Taiyang (EX-HN5). Acupuncture was performed once a day, 14 times as a course; and then once on every other day, 14 times in total for 4 weeks. All treatment lasted for 8 successive weeks. Neuropathy Impairment Score in the Lower Limbs (NIS-LL), Neurological Severity Score (NSS), Hamilton Depression Scale (HAMD), and Hamilton Anxiety Scale (HAMA) were assessed, motor nerve conduction velocity (MCV) and sensory nerve conduction velocity (SCV) were detected before and after treatment. RESULTS: After 8 weeks of treatment the scores of NIS-LL and NSS significantly decreased in the 3 groups, with statistical difference as compared with before treatment (P < 0.05). Scores of NIS-LL and NSS decreased more in acupuncture groups A and B than in the common treatment group (P < 0.05), and more obvious in acupuncture group B (P < 0.05). Compared with the same group before treatment, MCV and SCV of median nerve, ulnar nerve, common peroneal nerve and tibial nerve increased in acupuncture treatment group A and B after 8-week treatment (P < 0.05). MCV of median nerve, MCV and SCV of common peroneal nerve and tibial nerve significantly increased in the common treatment group (P < 0.05). Compared with the common treatment group, SCV of median nerve, MCV and SCV of ulnar nerve, common peroneal nerve and tibial nerve obviously increased in acupuncture treatment groups A and B after treatment (P < 0.05). MCV of ulnar nerve, MCV and SCV of common peroneal nerve and tibial nerve obviously increased more in acupuncture treatment group A than in acupuncture treatment group B (P < 0.05). At week 8 after treatment scores of HAMD and HAMA were obviously lowered in acupuncture groups A and B, with statistical difference as compared with before treatment (P < 0.05). The scores of HAMD were also decreased in the common treatment group, as compared with before treatment (P < 0.05). At week 8 after treatment scores of HAMD and HAMA were obviously lowered more in acupuncture treatment group B than in acupuncture treatment group A (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Acupuncture therapy could effectively improve the neurofunction of CAPN patients, and improve complicated anxiety and depression by additionally needling at Sishencong (EX-HN1), Yintang (EX-HN3), Taichong (LR3), Sanyinjiao (SP6), and Taiyang (EX-HN5).

Effect of short-term exposure to high temperatures on the reproductive behavior and physiological enzyme activities in the fruit fly Zeugodacus tau (Walker).

Zeugodacus tau is an economically important invasive pest of various vegetables and fruits. In this study, we evaluated the effects of short-term (12 h) exposure to high temperatures on the reproductive behaviors and physiological enzyme activities of adult Z. tau flies. When compared to the control group, the mating rate in the treated group increased significantly after exposure to 34°C and 38°C. After 34°C exposure, the mating rate of the control♀-treated♂ mating was the highest (60.0%). The use of high temperatures for a short period reduced the pre-mating period and lengthened the duration of copulation. After 38°C exposure, the mating between treated♀ and treated♂ had the shortest pre-mating period of 39.0 min and the longest copulation duration of 67.8 min. Mating after a brief exposure to high temperatures had a negative impact on female reproduction, whereas mating with males who previously had a brief exposure to 34°C and 38°C significantly increased female fecundity. After 40 °C exposure, the mating between treated♀ and control♂ showed the lowest fecundity and hatching rate of 293.25 eggs and 25.71%, respectively. The mating between control♀ and treated♂ showed the highest fecundity of 1,016.75 eggs after exposure to 38°C. The SOD, POD, and CAT activities exhibited significant changes (increase or decrease) after the short-term exposure of Z. tau adults to high temperatures. After being exposed to 38°C, SOD activity increased by 2.64 and 2.10 times in females and males in the treated group, respectively, compared to the SOD activity in the control group. The AchE, CarE, and GST activities first increased and then decreased with the increase in temperature. CarE activity changed the most after exposure to 38°C, with females and males in the treated group increasing by 7.81 and 1.69 times, respectively, compared to the activity in the control group. In conclusion, mating strategy and physiological stress are important adaptive mechanisms of Z. tau for adapting to short-term heat stress in a sex-specific manner.

Immunopotentiation effects of apigenin on NK cell proliferation and killing pancreatic cancer cells.

Apigenin is a kind of flavonoid with many beneficial biological effects. It not only has direct cytotoxicity to tumor cells, but also can boost the antitumor effect of immune cells by modulating immune system. The purpose of this study was to investigate the proliferation of NK cells treated with apigenin and its cytotoxicity to pancreatic cancer cells in vitro, and explore its potential molecular mechanism. In this study, the effect of apigenin on NK cell proliferation and killing pancreatic cancer cells were measured by CCK-8 assay. Perforin, granzyme B (Gran B), CD107a, and NKG2D expressions of NK cells induced with apigenin were detected by flow cytometry (FCM). The mRNA expression of Bcl-2, Bax and protein expression of Bcl-2, Bax, p-ERK, and p-JNK in NK cells were evaluated by qRT-PCR and western blotting analysis, respectively. The results showed that appropriate concentration of apigenin could significantly promote the proliferation of NK cells in vitro and enhance the killing activity of NK cells against pancreatic cancer cells. The expressions of surface antigen NKG2D and intracellular antigen perforin and Gran B of NK cells were upregulated after treating with apigenin. Bcl-2 mRNA expression was increased, while Bax mRNA expression was decreased. Similarly, the expression of Bcl-2, p-JNK, and p-ERK protein was upregulated, and the expression of Bax protein was downregulated. The molecular mechanism of the immunopotentiation effects of apigenin may be that it up-regulates Bcl-2 and down-regulates Bax expression at the gene and protein levels to facilitate NK cell proliferation, and up-regulates the expression of perforin, Gran B, and NKG2D through the activation of JNK and ERK pathways to enhance NK cell cytotoxicity.

Effects of short-term extreme temperature treatment on the development and reproductive capacity of Encarsia formosa.

Encarsia formosa is a natural enemy of the invasive pest Bemisia tabaci and is known to be a dominant parasitic. The frequency and magnitude of climate extremes, particularly temperature extremes, have increased, which has put insect populations at risk. However, the effects of temperature extremes on E. formosa are not well understood. To examine the impact of short-term extreme temperature exposure on the development and reproduction of E. formosa, eggs, larvae, pupae, and adults were exposed to high/low temperature treatments (HLT25, HLT50, LLT25, and LLT50). Our findings indicate that the pupal stage of E. formosa exhibited the strongest tolerance to both heat and cold, while adults exhibited a weaker tolerance. The shortest egg-to-adult development period of 12.65 days was observed in E. formosa exposed to HLT50 treatment during the egg-larval stage. The parasitism peak of the adult stage was delayed by 1-6 days after exposure to extreme temperatures during the egg-larval stage. Conversely, the parasitism peak was advanced by 1-3 days after exposure to extreme temperatures during the pupal and adult stages. The eclosion rate, total parasitism, eclosion rate of the F1 generation, and adult longevity of the F1 generation were lower in the treatment groups than in the control groups. The F1 generation's development period was prolonged to 15.49 and 15.19 days after exposure to HLT25 and HLT50 treatments, respectively, during the egg-larval stage. The F1 generation's development period was shortened to 13.33 days after exposure to LLT50 treatment during the pupal stage. Male individuals appeared in the F1 generation after exposure to HLT50 treatment during the pupal stage, with females accounting for only 56.38%. Our results demonstrate that short-term exposure to extreme temperatures has detrimental effects on the growth and reproduction of E. formosa. In field biocontrol against E. formosa, the release of E. formosa should be avoided as much as possible when the ambient temperature is higher than 35°C or lower than 0°C. During extreme temperature conditions, timely supplementation and release of E. formosa population, along with ventilation and cooling in greenhouse facilities during summer, are necessary for better pest control efficacy.

Long-term outcome of children with acute promyelocytic leukemia: a randomized study of oral versus intravenous arsenic by SCCLG-APL group.

Realgar-Indigo naturalis formula (RIF), an oral traditional Chinese medicine mainly containing Realgar (As4S4), is highly effective in treating adult acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL). However, the treatment efficacy and safety of RIF have not been verified in pediatric patients. SCCLG-APL group conducted a multicenter randomized non-inferiority trial to determine whether intravenous arsenic trioxide (ATO) can be substituted by oral RIF in treating pediatric APL. Of 176 eligible patients enrolled, 91 and 85 were randomized to ATO and RIF groups, respectively. Patients were treated with the risk-adapted protocol. Induction, consolidation, and 96-week maintenance treatment contained all-trans-retinoic acid and low-intensity chemotherapy, and either ATO or RIF. The primary endpoint was 5-year event-free survival (EFS). The secondary endpoints were adverse events and hospital days. After a median 6-year follow-up, the 5-year EFS was 97.6% in both groups. However, the RIF group had significantly shorter hospital stays and lower incidence of infection and tended to have less cardiac toxicity. All 4 relapses occurred within 1.5 years after completion of maintenance therapy. No long-term arsenic retentions were observed in either group. Substituting oral RIF for ATO maintains treatment efficacy while reducing hospitalization and adverse events in treating pediatric APL patients, which may be a future treatment strategy for APL.

A Swin Transformer-based model for mosquito species identification.

Mosquito transmit numbers of parasites and pathogens resulting in fatal diseases. Species identification is a prerequisite for effective mosquito control. Existing morphological and molecular classification methods have evitable disadvantages. Here we introduced Deep learning techniques for mosquito species identification. A balanced, high-definition mosquito dataset with 9900 original images covering 17 species was constructed. After three rounds of screening and adjustment-testing (first round among 3 convolutional neural networks and 3 Transformer models, second round among 3 Swin Transformer variants, and third round between 2 images sizes), we proposed the first Swin Transformer-based mosquito species identification model (Swin MSI) with 99.04% accuracy and 99.16% F1-score. By visualizing the identification process, the morphological keys used in Swin MSI were similar but not the same as those used by humans. Swin MSI realized 100% subspecies-level identification in Culex pipiens Complex and 96.26% accuracy for novel species categorization. It presents a promising approach for mosquito identification and mosquito borne diseases control.

Density and seasonal dynamics of Bemisia tabaci and its predators in different agricultural landscapes in South China.

Bemisia tabaci is the main pest of agriculture in many regions of the world. The resistance of whitefly to pesticides has increased as a consequence of the continuous irrational use of wide-spectrum pesticides. Thus, pesticides are no longer always effective as a long-term control method. The agricultural landscape can affect the occurrence of an insect population. The objective of this study was to clarify the occurrence of whitefly and its predators in tomato fields in different agricultural landscapes. Different landscapes are classified into urban, flower, water, and mountain landscapes by the principal component analysis method. In 2018-2019, whitefly had the longest main activity period and the lowest density in the flower landscape. The water landscape helped to maintain the highest densities of whitefly during the main activity period. Nine species of predators were sampled, and Nesidiocoris tenuis, Chrysoperla sinica, Menochilus sexmaculata, and Harmonia axyridis were the dominant species throughout the sampling season in both years. During the main activity period, N. tenuis had the highest density in all sampled landscapes. The density of the dominant predators was the highest in the flower landscape, and each natural predator had the largest temporal niche width in the 2-year sampling period. Bemisia tabaci, N. tenuis, and M. sexmaculata were highly synchronized temporally. The flower landscape showed satisfactory results in suppressing whitefly. Increasing the proportion of flowering plants and increasing the diversity of plant crops in the agricultural landscape can effectively reduce the densities of whitefly during an outbreak.

Effect of sublethal Spirotetramat on host locating and parasitic behavior of Encarsia formosa Gahan.

BACKGROUND: The use of chemical insecticides to control Bemisia tabaci Gennadius (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) is widespread, although it might exert a sublethal effect on its dominant parasitoid, Encarsia formosa Gahan (Hymenoptera: Aphelinidae). To investigate the sublethal effect of spirotetramat on E. formosa, we observed the ability of E. formosa to locate and handle the host, oviposit and preen after exposure to sublethal concentrations of spirotetramat. RESULTS: After exposure to spirotetramat at LC50 , the response time of E. formosa to the volatile reached 223.40 s and was significantly prolonged. Only 56.44% of the wasps were attracted by the volatile and the insect crawled the slowest among all of the treatments. The averages of oviposition posture adopted and host handled by each E. formosa in 1 h decreased significantly to 1.79 and 1.27, respectively. At the sublethal concentration of LC10 , 94.59% of the wasps were attracted by the volatile and the insect crawled the fastest. The average of host handled by each E. formosa was 3.92, and the frequency of drumming while walking and drumming the host was 12.34 times per second and 12.30 times per second, respectively, demonstrating a significant acceleration in these abilities. CONCLUSION: These findings demonstrate that spirotetramat induced hormesis in E. formosa on exposure to its LC10 concentration and accelerated its host locating, host handling and frequency of antennae drumming. These findings could assist in balancing the chemical and biological control of B. tabaci and enhancing the efficacy of E. formosa as a biocontrol agent. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry.

Prognostic significance of CNSL at diagnosis of childhood B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia: A report from the South China Children's Leukemia Group.

Objectives: The prognostic significance of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) patients with central nervous system leukemia (CNSL) at diagnosis is controversial. We aimed to determine the impact of CNSL at diagnosis on the clinical outcomes of childhood B-cell ALL in the South China Children's Leukemia Group (SCCLG). Methods: A total of 1,872 childhood patients were recruited for the study between October 2016 and July 2021. The diagnosis of CNSL depends on primary cytological examination of cerebrospinal fluid, clinical manifestations, and imaging manifestations. Patients with CNSL at diagnosis received two additional courses of intrathecal triple injections during induction. Results: The frequency of CNLS at the diagnosis of B-cell ALL was 3.6%. Patients with CNSL at diagnosis had a significantly higher mean presenting leukocyte count (P = 0.002) and poorer treatment response (P <0.05) compared with non-CNSL patients. Moreover, CNSL status was associated with worse 3-year event-free survival (P = 0.030) and a higher risk of 3-year cumulative incidence of relapse (P = 0.008), while no impact was observed on 3-year overall survival (P = 0.837). Multivariate analysis revealed that CNSL status at diagnosis was an independent predictor with a higher cumulative incidence of relapse (hazard ratio = 2.809, P = 0.016). Conclusion: CNSL status remains an adverse prognostic factor in childhood B-cell ALL, indicating that additional augmentation of CNS-directed therapy is warranted for patients with CNSL at diagnosis.

A Nomogram for Predicting Event-Free Survival in Childhood Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia: A Multicenter Retrospective Study.

Objective: Even though childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) has an encouraging survival rate in recent years, some patients are still at risk of relapse or even death. Therefore, we aimed to construct a nomogram to predict event-free survival (EFS) in patients with ALL. Method: Children with newly diagnosed ALL between October 2016 and July 2021 from 18 hospitals participating in the South China children's leukemia Group (SCCLG) were recruited and randomly classified into two subsets in a 7:3 ratio (training set, n=1187; validation set, n=506). Least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) and multivariate Cox regression analysis were adopted to screen independent prognostic factors. Then, a nomogram can be build based on these prognostic factors to predict 1-, 2-, and 3-year EFS. Concordance index (C-index), area under the curve (AUC), calibration curve, and decision curve analysis (DCA) were used to evaluate the performance and clinical utility of nomogram. Result: The parameters that predicted EFS were age at diagnosis, white blood cell at diagnosis, immunophenotype, ETV6-RUNX1/TEL-AML1 gene fusion, bone marrow remission at day 15, and minimal residual disease at day 15. The nomogram incorporated the six factors and provided C-index values of 0.811 [95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.792-0.830] and 0.797 (95% CI = 0.769-0.825) in the training and validation set, respectively. The calibration curve and AUC revealed that the nomogram had good ability to predict 1-, 2-, and 3-year EFS. DCA also indicated that our nomogram had good clinical utility. Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that EFS in the different risk groups stratified by the nomogram scores was significant differentiated. Conclusion: The nomogram for predicting EFS of children with ALL has good performance and clinical utility. The model could help clinical decision-making.

[Effects of huanglian jiedu decoction on free radicals metabolism and pathomorphism of the hippocampus in App/PS1 double transgenic mice].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effects of Huanglian Jiedu Decoction (HLJDT) on the metabolism of free radicals, the morphology and histopathology of hippocampal CA1 neurons in PS1/APP double transgenic mice of Alzheimer's disease (AD), and to study its possible mechanisms, thus providing experimental evidence for treating AD by HLJDT. METHODS: The APP/PS1 double transgenic mouse model was used. Mice were randomly divided into five groups, i. e., the model control group, the positive control group (Aricept), high-, middle-, and low-dose HLJDT group (at the daily dose of 865 mg*kg(-1), 433 mg*kg(-1), and 216 mg*kg(-1), respectively). Corresponding medication was daily given by gastrogavage. Seven months later superoxide dismutase (SOD) and malondialdehyde (MDA) were detected at the ten-month old mice, thus observing the effects on the morphology of CA1 hippocampal neurons and the senile plaques (SP). RESULTS: HLJDT and Aricept could obviously increase the SOD contents and lower the MDA contents (P<0.05), attenuate the destroy of neurocytes and the formation of SP, effectively hinder the degeneration of hippocampal neurons. Better results were obtained in the middle-dose HLJDT group than in the positive control group (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: The mechanism of HLJDT in treating AD might be possibly correlated with improving anti-oxygenation, protecting hippocampal neurocytes, and reducing the formation of SP.

[Efficacy observation of combination of Lumbrukinase Capsule and Probucol Tablet in treating cerebral infarction patients' unstable atheromatous plaque of the carotid artery].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effects of combination of Lumbrukinase Capsule (LC) and Probucol Tablet (PT) in treating cerebral infarction (CI) patients' unstable atheromatous plaque of the carotid artery. METHODS: 150 patients were randomly assigned to the PT group and the LC group, 75 cases in each. Patients in the PT group took 0.5 g PT each time, twice daily. On the basis of PT, patients in the LC group also took 600 thousand U LC, thrice daily. The treatment course was 12 months for all. The serum levels of TC, TG, HDL-C, LDL-C, fibrinogen (FIB), and changes of the carotid atherosclerotic plaque were measured before treatment, 6 and 12 months after treatment. Meanwhile, adverse events were recorded. RESULTS: The serum levels of TC, TG, and LDL-C were all lower 6 months after treatment than before treatment in the two groups, showing statistical significance (P < 0.05). The serum level of HDL-C was higher 6 months after treatment than before treatment in the two groups, showing no statistical significance (P > 0.05). When compared with before treatment in the same group, the serum level of FIB significantly decreased after treatment. Besides, there was statistical difference between the two groups (P < 0.05). There was no statistical difference in the serum levels of blood lipids or FIB between 12-month treatment and 6-month treatment in the same group (P > 0.05). The plaque effective rate in the LC group was superior to that of the PT group, showing statistical significance (P < 0.01). During the treatment period, the occurrence of cerebrovascular event was lower in the LC group than in the PT group (P < 0.05). Partial patients in the two groups had gastric discomfort. CONCLUSIONS: The combination of LC and PT could prevent and treat arteriosclerosis, stabilize the plaque, effectively lower the occurrence of ischemic events. Its clinical application did not increase the risk of hemorrhage. It was safe and effective, worthy of spreading. It was necessary to further observe whether combination of LC and PT could increase side effects of the digestive tract.

[Retrospective analysis of risk factors in 900 patients with ischemic cerebral stroke of wind-phlegm collateral obstruction syndrome and qi deficiency blood stasis syndrome in Wuhan District].

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the correlation between risk factors and ischemic cerebral stroke of wind-phlegm collateral obstruction syndrome and qi deficiency blood stasis syndrome. METHODS: Totally 900 patients of the two syndrome types were recruited. Risk factors correlated to ischemic cerebral stroke such as gender, age, time of onset, site of infarction, tongue proper, tongue fur, pulse picture, hypertension, diabetes, past stroke history, hyperlipidemia, hematocrit, smoking, drinking, genetic factor, blood type, complications were analyzed using Chi-square test and non-conditional Logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: Statistical significance existed between the two syndrome types in age (X2 = 8.2392, P = 0.0413), hyperlipidemia (X2 = 4.8386, P = 0.0278), tongue proper (X2 = 7.9470, P = 0.0048), and tongue fur (X2 = 4.3298, P = 0.0375). Statistical significance existed between the two syndrome types in hyperlipidemia, tongue proper, and tongue fur, and their OR value was 0.699 (P = 0.0282), 0.332 (P =0.0071), and 0.667 (P = 0.0382) respectively. The OR value of the past stroke history was 3.226 (P = 0.0314), that of complications 0.203 (P = 0.0705), and that of anterior circulation infarction 0.214 (P = 0.0098). CONCLUSIONS: Among different ages groups, the constituent ratio of qi deficiency blood stasis syndrome was obviously higher than that of wind-phlegm collateral obstruction syndrome. Besides, patients of qi deficiency blood stasis syndrome were liable to suffer from hyperlipidemia, anterior circulation infarction, and complications. The age, blood lipid levels, site of infarction, complications are closely correlated with Chinese syndrome types of ischemic cerebral stroke, which can provide objective indices for typing ischemic cerebral stroke.

Prognostic Value and Outcome for ETV6/RUNX1-Positive Pediatric Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia: A Report From the South China Children's Leukemia Group.

PURPOSE: To analyzed the outcome of ETV6/RUNX1-positive pediatric acute B lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL) with the aim of identifying prognostic value. METHOD: A total of 2,530 pediatric patients who were diagnosed with B-ALL were classified into two groups based on the ETV6/RUNX1 status by using a retrospective cohort study method from February 28, 2008, to June 30, 2020, at 22 participating ALL centers. RESULTS: In total, 461 (18.2%) cases were ETV6/RUNX1-positive. The proportion of patients with risk factors (age <1 year or ≥10 years, WB≥50×109/L) in ETV6/RUNX1-positive group was significantly lower than that in negative group (P<0.001), while the proportion of patients with good early response (good response to prednisone, D15 MRD < 0.1%, and D33 MRD < 0.01%) in ETV6/RUNX1-positive group was higher than that in the negative group (P<0.001, 0.788 and 0.004, respectively). Multivariate analysis of 2,530 patients found that age <1 or ≥10 years, SCCLG-ALL-2016 protocol, and MLL were independent predictor of outcome but not ETV6/RUNX1. The EFS and OS of the ETV6/RUNX1-positive group were significantly higher than those of the negative group (3-year EFS: 90.11 ± 4.21% vs 82 ± 2.36%, P<0.0001, 3-year OS: 91.99 ± 3.92% vs 88.79 ± 1.87%, P=0.017). Subgroup analysis showed that chemotherapy protocol, age, prednisone response, and D15 MRD were important factors affecting the prognosis of ETV6/RUNX1-positive children. CONCLUSIONS: ETV6/RUNX1-positive pediatric ALL showed an excellent outcome but lack of independent prognostic significance in South China. However, for older patients who have the ETV6/RUNX1 fusion and slow response to therapy, to opt for more intensive treatment.