Clinical Presentation, Management, and Diagnostic Performance of 2021 Criteria for Paraneoplastic Neurologic Syndromes in Childhood.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Paraneoplastic neurologic syndromes (PNSs) are remote neurologic immune-related effects of tumors. The clinical characteristics of pediatric PNSs remain unclear. We retrospectively examined the clinical characteristics of cases of pediatric PNSs and assessed the performance of the 2021 diagnostic criteria in children. METHODS: Patients hospitalized in the Beijing Children's Hospital between June 2015 and June 2023 and fulfilling the description of definite by 2004 diagnostic criteria of PNSs were included. A retrospective analysis of clinical characteristics was conducted, and the 2021 diagnostic criteria were applied to rediagnostic stratification. RESULTS: Among the 42 patients included, the most common neurologic syndrome was opsoclonus-myoclonus syndrome (OMS) (62%), followed by rapidly progressive cerebellar syndrome (26%). Most tumors were neuroblastomas (88%), with few being ovarian teratomas (10%). Approximately 71% (30/42) of patients were classified as definite and 24% (10/42) as probable according to the 2021 criteria. All cases judged as probable exhibited rapidly progressive cerebellar ataxia with neuroblastoma. For OMS, chemotherapy was administered based on the tumor's risk stage, accompanied by regular infusion of IV gamma globulin and oral steroids following tumor diagnosis. Twenty-one patients underwent regular follow-ups over 4.92 (0.58-7.58) years. The initial hospitalization recorded a median score of 12 (7-14) on the Mitchell and Pike OMS rating scale, decreasing to 0 (0-5) at the final follow-up. In cases of rapidly progressive cerebellar syndrome, a similar therapeutic regimen was used. Nine patients underwent regular follow-ups over 4.42 (1.17-7.50) years. The mean modified Rankin scale score at first hospitalization was 4 (3-4), reducing to 1 (0-4) at the final follow-up. Only 17% (5/30) of patients across both groups exhibited poor response to this regimen. Among these 5 patients, 4 belonged to the low-risk group (without chemotherapy). DISCUSSION: OMS followed by rapidly progressive cerebellar ataxia are the most common forms of PNSs in children and are associated with neuroblastoma. An aggressive approach with multiple immunotherapies may improve the prognosis of neuroblastoma-associated PNSs. The 2021 criteria perform well in pediatric PNSs. However, we propose upgrading the classification of antibody-negative rapidly progressive cerebellar ataxia with neuroblastoma to definite diagnosis. This adjustment aims to further improve the diagnostic efficacy of this diagnostic criterion in childhood.

Clinical features, treatment strategies, and prognosis of epithelioid inflammatory myofibroblastic sarcoma in children: a multicenter experience.

Background: Inflammatory myofibroblastic tumors (IMTs) are a spectrum of tumors that range in morphology and biological behavior from benign, intermediate, to apparently malignant and epithelioid inflammatory myofibroblastic sarcoma (EIMS) is one of the malignant subtypes. This study tried to provide experience and new ideas for treating this rare disease. Methods: This study retrospectively analyzed and followed up 12 children with EIMS admitted to Beijing Children's Hospital, Baoding Children's Hospital, and Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University from August 2016 to May 2022. Results: Of the 12 children, 7 were male and 5 were female, with a median age of 74.50 [interquartile range (IQR), 61.50-90.00] months. Of these patients, eight had a single lesion and four had multiple lesions. The maximum diameter of the single tumor foci was 19.30 cm, the full meridian of the multiple tumor foci target lesions was 32.67 cm, and the median maximum tumor size was 11.99 (IQR, 7.80-15.70) cm. The site of disease was the abdominopelvic cavity in eight cases, the thoracic cavity in two cases, the maxillofacial region in one case, and the larynx in one case. The clinical manifestations were predominantly elevated body temperature (n=8). There was one case of ROS1 fusion mutation and nine cases of ALK fusion mutation. Of the 12 children, 6 were biopsied at the initial diagnosis and 6 were surgically treated. Follow-up treatment included preoperative neoadjuvant chemotherapy (n=4), peritoneal thermal perfusion therapy (n=2), targeted therapy (n=3), postoperative chemotherapy (n=5), and radiotherapy (n=3). The follow-up time was 14.50 (IQR, 10.50-31.50) months, with eight cases of tumor-free survival, two cases of death, and two cases of loss of follow-up. Conclusions: EIMS in children is extremely rare and clinically aggressive. The clinical presentation is nonspecific, and the initial diagnosis of the tumor is often large. Mutations in the ALK gene are common in EIMS. Surgery is the mainstay of EIMS treatment, and patients benefit from a multidisciplinary combination that includes targeted therapies, with long-term prognosis remaining subject to ongoing follow-up.

Pediatric spindle cell/sclerosing rhabdomyosarcoma with FUS-TFCP2 fusion: a case report and literature review.

Background: FUS-TFCP2 gene fusion is a recently identified and highly distinct molecular subtype of spindle cell/sclerosing rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS), with fewer than 40 cases being reported to date. Due to its low incidence, clinical studies on this subtype are limited. Here, we report a new case of this rare entity to describe and summarize its unique clinical characteristics and treatment process, aiming to emphasize the importance of molecular testing for spindle cell/sclerosing RMS and increase the understanding of this subtype. By summarizing and comparing with previous reports on RMS with the EWSR1/FUS-TFCP2 fusion mutation, we hope to make some new hints for its management. Case Description: In this report, we describe a rare case of spindle cell/sclerosing RMS in a 13-year-old boy, who had a massive destructive lesion involving the mandible. Next-generation sequencing of tumor tissue revealing a FUS-TFCP2 fusion. The tumor was extremely aggressive and showed resistance to polychemotherapy, after 4 cycles of multi drug combined chemotherapy, the primary tumor still continued to grow, and suspicious chest metastasis occurred. Even after aggressive total resection of the primary tumor and postoperative chemotherapy, systemic metastasis to the vertebra and chest could not be prevented yet, ultimately with a fatal outcome within 6 months. We additionally summarize 37 cases of RMS with the EWSR1/FUS-TFCP2 fusion mutation reported in the literature. This subtype was found to be almost exclusively primary in bone and histologically showed a common origin of epithelium and muscle. The high aggressiveness made the conventional standard chemoradiotherapy ineffective. Because most tumors of this subtype express ALK protein, ALK inhibitors seem to be a new target for its therapy. Conclusions: Spindle cell/sclerosing RMS with FUS-TFCP2 fusion has its unique clinical characteristics and progression. It shows a marked skeletal predilection and an aggressive clinical course, typically resistant to traditional standard treatments for RMS. Therefore, molecular detection is crucial in managing this subtype. Once the diagnosis is clear, a more aggressive treatment plan is needed. In addition, almost all cases were found to have a positive expression of ALK. So ALK inhibitors can be a choice of targeted therapy.

Role of intestinal flora in the development of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease in children.

In China, 45% of adolescents with obesity develop fatty liver disease, a condition that increases the long-term risk of developing cirrhosis and liver cancer. Although the factors triggering nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) vary in children, the composition of intestinal microflora has been found to play an increasingly important role. However, evidence is limited on the prevalence of nonalcoholic fatty liver (NAFL) and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) in Chinese children. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the fecal microbiome of Chinese children with NAFLD and further analyze the potential of flora in regulating NAFLD-related symptoms and metabolic functions. Specifically, the study applied a 16S rRNA and metagenomic sequencing to the fecal samples of pediatric patients with NAFLD, NASH, and NAFL, as well as healthy controls, to explore the correlation among NAFLD-related indexes, metabolic pathways, and gut flora. The findings showed that some fecal microbiota had a negative correlation with body mass index, and various NAFLD-related bacteria, including Lachnoclostridium, Escherichia-Shigella, and Faecalibacterium prausnitzii, were detected. Consequently, the study concluded that the variation in gut microbiota might be more important in improving NAFLD/NASH compared with single species, providing a microbiota diagnostic profile of NAFLD/NASH.IMPORTANCEThis study aims to characterize the gut microbiota in Chinese children with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) through 16S rRNA and metagenomic sequencing. The results highlight the association between fecal microbiota and NAFLD in Chinese children, demonstrating distinct characteristics compared to adults and children from other countries. Based on the sequencing data from our cohort's fecal samples, we propose a microbiota model with a high area under the curve for distinguishing between NAFLD and healthy individuals. Furthermore, our follow-up study reveals that changes in the relative abundance of microbial biomarkers in this model are consistent with variations in patients' body mass index. These findings suggest the potential utility of the microbiota model and microbial biomarkers for diagnosing and treating NAFLD in children.

Clinical and genetic analysis of two patients with primary ciliary dyskinesia caused by a novel variant of DNAAF2.

BACKGROUND: The study describes the clinical manifestations and variant screening of two Chinese siblings with primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD). They carry the same DNAAF2 genotype, which is an extremely rare PCD genotype in the Chinese population. In addition, the study illustrated an overview of published variants on DNAAF2 to date. METHODS: A two-child family was recruited for the study. Clinical manifestations, laboratory tests, bronchoscopic and otoscopic images, and radiographic data were collected. Whole blood was collected from siblings and their parents for whole-exome sequencing (WES) and Sanger sequencing to screen variants. RESULTS: The two siblings exhibited typical clinical manifestations of PCD. Two compound heterozygous variants in DNAAF2 were detected in both by WES. Nonsense variant c.156 C>A and frameshift variant c.177_178insA, which was a novel variant. CONCLUSION: The study identified a novel variant of DNAAF2 in Chinese children with a typical phenotype of PCD, which may enrich our knowledge of the clinical, diagnostic and genetic information of DNAAF2-induced PCD in children.

Hepatoblastoma with neonatal necrotizing enterocolitis: Two case reports.

We report two children with hepatoblastoma (HB) with a history of neonatal necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC). Case 1 was diagnosed with HB at 5 months of age. Liver enlargement was found during the NEC operation at 3 months of age and then was clinically diagnosed by imaging. After six chemotherapy courses, a partial hepatectomy was performed. Three months after ceasing the chemotherapy, a chest computed tomography scan suggested that distant metastasis of the tumor should be considered, and the lesion was removed. However, 9 months after the operation, alpha-fetoprotein concentrations were increased, and abdominal imaging showed a recurrence of the tumor in situ, resulting in a hepatectomy. Case 2 was diagnosed with NEC shortly after birth and underwent an intestinal resection and anastomosis 1 month later. He was diagnosed with HB at 3 years of age. Hepatectomy was performed after five courses of chemotherapy. Chemotherapy was stopped after 10 courses, and alpha-fetoprotein concentrations were normal. At present, both children have survived and are in a healthy condition. Physicians should be aware of the possibility of HB and a history of NEC in children. Premature birth and low birth weight are common factors leading to the pathogenesis of HB and NEC. The association between these two diseases requires further study.

An Atypical Incontinentia Pigmenti Female with Persistent Mucocutaneous Hyperinflammation and Immunodeficiency Caused by a Novel Germline IKBKG Missense Mutation.

While most missense mutations of the IKBKG gene typically result in Ectodermal Dysplasia with Immunodeficiency, there have been rare reported instances of missense mutations of the IKBKG gene causing both Incontinentia Pigmenti (IP) and immunodeficiency in female patients. In this study, we described an atypical IP case in a 19-year-old girl, characterized by hyperpigmented and verrucous skin areas over the entire body. Remarkably, she experienced recurrent red papules whenever she had a feverish upper respiratory tract infection. Immunohistochemical staining unveiled a substantial accumulation of CD68+ macrophages alongside the TNF-α positive cells in the dermis tissue of new pustules, with increased apoptotic basal keratinocytes in the epidermis tissue of these lesions. Starting from the age of 8 years old, the patient suffered from severe and sustained chronic respiratory mucous membrane scar hyperplasia and occluded subglottic lumen. In addition to elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate values, inflammatory cells were observed in the pathologic lesions of endobronchial biopsies and Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid (BALF) smear. Further histological analysis revealed a destructive bronchus epithelium integrity with extensive necrosis. Simultaneously, the patient experienced recurrent incomplete intestinal obstructions and lips contracture. The patient's BALF sample displayed an augmented profile of proinflammatory cytokines and chemokines, suggesting a potential link to systemic hyperinflammation, possibly underlying the pathogenic injuries affecting the subglottic, respiratory, and digestive systems. Furthermore, the patient presented with recurrent pneumonias and multiple warts accompanied by a T+BlowNKlow immunophenotype. Next generation sequencing showed that the patient carried a novel de novo germline heterozygous missense mutation in the IKBKG gene (c. 821T>C, p. L274P), located in the highly conserved CC2 domain. TA-cloning sequencing of patient's cDNA yielded 30 mutant transcripts out of 44 clones. In silico analysis indicated that the hydrogen bond present between Ala270 and Leu274 in the wild-type NEMO was disrupted by the Leu274Pro mutation. However, this mutation did not affect NEMO expression in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). Moreover, patient PBMCs exhibited significantly impaired TNF-α production following Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) stimulation. X-chromosome inactivation in T cells and neutrophils were not severely skewed. Reduced levels of IκBα phosphorylation and degradation in patient's PBMCs were observed. The NF-κB luciferase reporter assay conducted using IKBKG-deficient HEK293T cells revealed a significant reduction in NF-kB activity upon LPS stimulation. These findings adds to the ever-growing knowledge on female IP that might contribute to the better understanding of this challenging disorder.

Dual-Site Förster Resonance Energy Transfer Route of Upconversion Nanoparticles-Based Brain-Targeted Nanotheranostic Boosts the Near-Infrared Phototherapy of Glioma.

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most common malignant brain tumor with low survival, primarily due to the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and high infiltration. Upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs)-based near-infrared (NIR) phototherapy with deep penetration is a promising therapy method against glioma but faces low photoenergy utilization that is induced by spectral mismatch and single-site Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET). Herein, we designed a brain-targeting NIR theranostic system with a dual-site FRET route and superior spectral matching to maximize energy utilization for synergistic photodynamic and photothermal therapy of glioma. The system was fabricated by Tm-doped UCNPs, zinc tetraphenylporphyrin (ZnTPP), and copper sulfide (CuS) nanoparticles under multioptimized modulation. First, the Tm-doping ratio was precisely adjusted to improve the relative emission intensity at 475 nm of UCNPs (11.5-fold). Moreover, the J-aggregate of ZnTPP increased the absorption at 475 nm (163.5-fold) of monomer; both together optimize the FRET matching between UCNPs and porphyrin for effective NIR photodynamic therapy. Simultaneously, the emission at 800 nm was utilized to magnify the photothermal effect of CuS nanoparticles for photothermal therapy via the second FRET route. After being modified by a brain-targeted peptide, the system efficiently triggers the synergistic phototherapy ablation of glioma cells and significantly prolongs the survival of orthotopic glioma-bearing mice after traversing the BBB and targeting glioma. This success of advanced spectral modulation and dual-site FRET strategy may inspire more strategies to maximize the photoenergy utilization of UCNPs for brain diseases.

Successful treatment of urticarial vasculitis with omalizumab in children: a case series.

Urticarial vasculitis (UV) is a small vessel leucocytoclastic vasculitis, which often needs to be distinguished from urticaria and other dermatoses. Treatment of UV in children is challenging because of the unsatisfying efficacy of antihistamines and the safety concern of long-term systemic corticosteroids or immunosuppressive agents. As a classic biological agent widely used in chronic spontaneous urticaria, omalizumab might also be a potential therapeutic option in the treatment of children with UV. This report presented four children, aged 4-6 years, with glucocorticoid-unresponsive UV successfully treated by omalizumab, thus providing evidence that omalizumab can be used to treat UV with good efficacy and tolerability in the paediatric population.

Computed tomography findings of communicating bronchopulmonary foregut malformation: a retrospective study of 18 patients.

BACKGROUND: Communicating bronchopulmonary foregut malformation is a rare anomaly characterized by a patent congenital communication between the esophagus or stomach and an isolated portion of the respiratory system. An esophagogram is taken as the gold standard for diagnosis. Compared with esophagography, computed tomography (CT) is more widely used and easily obtained, but CT findings have been described as nonspecific. PURPOSE: To describe CT findings in 18 patients with communicating bronchopulmonary foregut malformation to assist with early diagnosis. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A retrospective review of 18 patients who had proven communicating bronchopulmonary foregut malformation between January 2006 and December 2021 was conducted. For each patient, the medical records, including demographics, clinical manifestations, upper gastrointestinal radiography, magnetic resonance imaging and CT findings, were reviewed. RESULTS: Among the 18 patients, there were 8 males. The right to left ratio was 3.5:1. An entire lung was involved in 10 patients, a lobe or a segment was involved in 7 patients and an ectopic lesion was located in the right neck in 1 patient. The isolated lung may arise from the upper esophagus, mid-esophagus, lower esophagus or stomach, which were detected in 1, 3, 13, and 1 patient, respectively. On chest CT, an extra bronchus which did not arise from the trachea was detected in 14 patients. Contrast-enhanced chest CT was performed in 17 patients, the isolated lung receiving its blood supply from the pulmonary artery in 13 patients, the systemic artery in 11 patients and both pulmonary and systemic arteries in 7 patients. CONCLUSIONS: The presence of an extra bronchus, which does not arise from the trachea, highly suggests the diagnosis of communicating bronchopulmonary foregut malformation. Contrast-enhanced chest CT can provide accurate information regarding the airways, lung parenchyma and vascular structures that is useful to plan surgery.

Losing CD45 and various B-cell markers in a case of MYC-driven pediatric high-grade B-cell lymphoma, not otherwise specified that transformed from Burkitt's lymphoma during rituximab-containing treatments: a case report.

In this study, we reported a seldom case of pediatric high-grade B-cell lymphoma, not otherwise specified (HGBL, NOS) with loss of B-cell markers (CD19, CD20, CD22, CD79a, CD38, Pax5, OCT2, and BOB1) and CD45, which bring great challenges to exclude a non-lymphomatous neoplasm. However, no evidence was found to support the diagnosis of sarcoma and carcinoma. Thus, due to the patient's prior history of Burkitt's lymphoma treated by rituximab-containing therapies, we carefully searched for any indication of B-cell differentiation. Eventually, NGS results revealed the monoclonal rearrangement of IGH (IGHD2-8-IGHJ6 and IGHV4-30-2-IGHJ4) in both pre-treatment and present tumors, confirming the same B-cell lineage. Moreover, both tumors exhibited the same IGHA1-MYC translocation and somatic mutations of c-MYC, TP53, ID3, and CCND3. Therefore, in addition to strong expression of BCL2 in the present tumor, we finally arrived at a diagnosis of pediatric HGBL, NOS with loss of B-cell lineage markers and CD45.

Malignant histiocytosis associated with mediastinal germ cell tumor: A case report.

BACKGROUND: Germ cell tumors (GCTs) account for 2% of human malignancies but are the most common malignant tumors among males aged 15-35. Since 1983, an association between mediastinal GCT (MGCT) and hematologic malignancies has been recognized. CASE SUMMARY: We report a case in which malignant histiocytosis was associated with mediastinal GCTs. The clinical data of a male patient with MGCT admitted to Beijing Children's Hospital were collected retrospectively. The patient was first diagnosed according to imaging and pathological features as having MGCT, and was treated with surgery and chemotherapy. One year after stopping chemotherapy, imaging showed metastases in the right supraclavicular, mediastinum, hilar region and retroperitoneal lymph node, right pleura, right lung, and right para-cardiac margin. Pathological diagnosis of the liver nodular and hilar lymph nodes included systemic juvenile xanthogranuloma and Rosai-Dorfman lesions with malignant transformation (i.e., morphological characteristics and immunophenotype of histiocytic sarcoma). Following diagnosis, the patient accepted chemotherapy with vindesine, cytarabine and dexamethasone. Positron emission tomography-computed tomography showed partial remission. The patient was followed-up for 10 mo after the diagnosis of malignant histiocytosis, and no sign of progression or relapse was observed. CONCLUSION: Physicians should recognize the possibility of hematologic malignancies being associated with MGCT. Suitable sites should be selected for pathological examination.

Compatibility Evaluation of In-Depth Profile Control Agents for Low-Permeability Fractured Reservoirs.

Under the background that the in-depth profile control technology is gradually applied in low-permeability fractured reservoirs, this paper regards block H of Changqing Oilfield as the research object, referring to the range of its physical parameters and field application data. Three common in-depth profile control agents (PCAs), nanosphere suspension, poly(ethylene glycol) single-phase gel particle (PEG) and cross-linked bulk gel and swelling particle (CBG-SP), are selected to investigate the compatibility between the fractured channels and the PCAs through a series of experiments. The experimental results show that the nanospheres with particle sizes of 100 nm and 300 nm have good injectivity and deep migration ability, which remains the overall core plugging rate at a high level. The residual resistance coefficient of 800 nm nanospheres decreases in a "cliff" manner along the injection direction due to the formation of blockage in the front section, resulting in a very low plugging rate in the rear section. The injection rate is an important parameter that affects the effect of PEG in the fractured channels. When the injection rate is lower than 0.1 mL/min, the plugging ability will be weakened, and if the injection rate is higher than 0.2 mL/min, the core plugging will occur. The appropriate injection rate will promote the better effect of PEG with the plugging rate > 90%. The average plugging rate of CBG-SP in fractured rock core is about 80%, and the overall control and displacement effect is good. Based on the experimental data of PCAs, the optimization criteria of slug configuration and pro-duction parameters are proposed. According to the principle "blocking, controlling and displacing", references are provided for PCAs screening and parameters selection of field implementation.

Experimental Study on Profile Control of Polymer and Weak Gel Molecules in Porous Media.

Weak gel is a gel system formed by the mixing and crosslinking of a low-concentration polymer and a slow-release crosslinker. It can be used for profile control in deep reservoir, but its effect is greatly affected by mechanical shearing. Currently, the shearing effect on weak gel is mainly studied by way of mechanical stirring, while the effect of porous media shear on weak gel molecules and properties has been rarely discussed. In this paper, polymer solution, aluminum gel and phenolic gel were prepared. The molecular coil size, viscoelastic modulus and microscopic aggregation morphology in water solution of three systems before and after core shearing were investigated, and the injection performance of the three systems in cores with different permeabilities was tested by physical simulation experiments. The study results show that at equivalent permeability, the system with a larger equivalent sphere diameter of molecular coil is more seriously sheared and suffers greater viscosity loss. In the core with permeability of 1.0 D, polymer solution remains as the aggregation, while phenolic gel and aluminum gel cannot form network aggregations and they are inferior to polymer solution in migration capacity in the mid-deep part of the core. In the core with permeability of 1-5.8 D, the polymer solution remains as a Newtonian fluid, while phenolic gel and aluminum gel become purely viscous non-Newtonian fluids. The elastic modulus of aluminum gel and phenolic gel is four times more than that of a polymer. In the core with permeability higher than 8.5 D, aluminum gel and phenolic gel migrate with less effect by core shearing, and their profile control capacity in deep reservoir is higher than that of the polymer. In the core with permeability lower than 8.5 D, because the monomolecular activity of weak gels becomes poor, they migrate in porous media with more effect by core shearing, and their profile control and oil displacement capacity in deep reservoir is lower than that of the polymer.

Intralobar Pulmonary Sequestration Presenting as Hemothorax Secondary to Spontaneous Pneumothorax: Case Report and Literature Review.

Introduction: Patients with pulmonary sequestration (PS), a rare congenital lung malformation, are mostly asymptomatic. Recurrent localized infection is a major complication, while sudden hemothorax is extremely rare. We present a case of intralobar PS presenting as hemothorax secondary to spontaneous pneumothorax and comprehensively review the relevant literature. Case Report: A 16-year-old male presented with chest pain after strenuous exercise. Chest X-ray showed a moderate pneumothorax. After admission and conservative treatment, he developed dizziness, amaurosis, and urinary incontinence. Bedside chest X-ray suggested a massive pleural effusion, and hemothorax was further identified via catheter drainage. Contrast-enhanced computed tomography was performed, and no abnormal blood vessels or leakage of contrast agent were observed. As the hemoglobin level continued to drop, exploratory thoracoscopic surgery was performed immediately. The abnormal systemic artery supplying the lung tissue was found to be ruptured; therefore, ligation of the abnormal artery with resection of the diseased lung tissue was performed. Pathological examination revealed non-specific manifestations of PS. He was followed up for 1 year without related complications. Conclusion: Our case suggests that the abnormal supply vessels of PS are unstable, which may cause sudden hemothorax. Therefore, patients with PS should undergo surgery promptly after diagnosis. In patients with hemothorax, we should consider the diagnosis of PS; however, contrast-enhanced computed tomography or angiography cannot confirm the diagnosis in all cases. Surgical intervention is recommended in emergency settings.

Aspect Ratio of PEGylated Upconversion Nanocrystals Affects the Cellular Uptake In Vitro and In Vivo.

The central nervous system (CNS) is protected by the blood-brain barrier (BBB), which acts as a physical barrier to regulate and prevent the uptake of endogenous metabolites and xenobiotics. However, the BBB prevents most non-lipophilic drugs from reaching the CNS following systematic administration. Therefore, there is considerable interest in identifying drug carriers that can maintain the biostability of therapeutic molecules and target their transport across the BBB. In this regard, upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) have become popular as a nanoparticle-based solution to this problem, with the additional benefit that they display unique properties for in vivo visualization. The majority of studies to date have explored basic spherical UCNPs for drug delivery applications. However, the biophysical properties of UCNPs, cell uptake and BBB transport have not been thoroughly investigated. In this study, we described a one-pot seed-mediated approach to precisely control longitudinal growth to produce bright UCNPs with various aspect ratios. We have systematically evaluated the effects of the physical aspect ratios and PEGylation of UCNPs on cellular uptake in different cell lines and an in vivo zebrafish model. We found that PEGylated the original UCNPs can enhance their biostability and cell uptake capacity. We identify an optimal aspect ratio for UCNP uptake into several different types of cultured cells, finding that this is generally in the ratio of 2 (length/width). This data provides a crucial clue for further optimizing UCNPs as a drug carrier to deliver therapeutic agents into the CNS. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: The central nervous system (CNS) is protected by the blood-brain barrier (BBB), which acts as a highly selective semipermeable barrier of endothelial cells to regulate and prevent the uptake of toxins and pathogens. However, the BBB prevents most non-lipophilic drugs from reaching the CNS following systematic administration. The proposed research is significant because identifying the aspect ratio of drug carriers that maintains the biostability of therapeutic molecules and targets their transport across the blood-brain barrier (BBB) is crucial for designing an efficient drug delivery system. Therefore, this research provides a vital clue for further optimizing UCNPs as drug carriers to deliver therapeutic molecules into the brain.