Incidence and risk factors of deep vein thrombosis in patients with rheumatoid arthritis / 北京大学学报(医学版)

Objective:To investigate the incidence and risk factors of deep vein thrombosis(DVT)in patients with rheumatoid arthritis(RA).Methods:The clinical data of RA patients who were hospi-talized in the Department of Rheumatology and Immunology of Aerospace Center Hospital from May 2015 to September 2021 was retrospectively analyzed,including demographic characteristics,concomitant diseases,laboratory examinations(blood routine,biochemistry,coagulation,inflammatory markers,rheumatoid factor,antiphospholipid antibodies and lupus anticoagulant,etc.)and treatment regimens.The patients were compared according to the presence or absence of DVT,and the t test,Mann-Whitney U test or Chi-square test were applied to screen for relevant factors for DVT,followed by Logistic regres-sion analysis to determine risk factors for DVT in patients with RA.Results:The incidence of DVT in the RA patients was 9.6％(31/322);the median age of RA in DVT group was significantly older than that in non-DVT group[64(54,71)years vs.50(25,75)years,P＜0.001];the level of disease activity score using 28 joints(DAS28)-erythrocyte sedimentation rate(ESR)in DVT group was higher than that in non-DVT group[5.2(4.5,6.7)vs.4.5(4.5,5.0),P＜0.001];the incidence of hypertension,chronic kidney disease,fracture or surgery history within 3 months,and varicose veins of the lower ex-tremities in DVT group was higher than that in non-DVT group(P＜0.001).The levels of hemoglobin and albumin in DVT group were significantly lower than that in non-DVT group(P=0.009,P=0.004),while the D-dimer level and rheumatoid factor positive rate in DVT group were significantly higher than that in non-DVT group(P＜0.001).The use rate of glucocorticoid in DVT group was higher than that in non-DVT group(P=0.009).Logistic regression analysis showed that the age(OR=1.093,P＜0.001),chronic kidney disease(OR=7.955,P=0.005),fracture or surgery history with-in 3 months(OR=34.658,P=0.002),DAS28-ESR(OR=1.475,P=0.009),and the use of glu-cocorticoid(OR=5.916,P=0.003)were independent risk factors for DVT in RA patients.Conclu-sion:The incidence of DVT in hospitalized RA patients was significantly increased,in addition to tradi-tional factors,such as age and chronic kidney disease,increased DAS28-ESR level and the use of glu-cocorticoid were also independent risk factors for DVT.

Effects of salvage therapies for local recurrence of tumor following prostate cryoablation / 现代泌尿外科杂志

【Objective】 To explore the effectiveness and safety of different salvage therapies for local recurrence of tumor following primary prostate cryoablation so as to provide the reference for the treatment of prostate similar cases. 【Methods】 The clinical data of patients with prostate cancer (cT1c-4N0M0) who received salvage therapy for local recurrence of tumor following primary prostate cryoablation in the Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center during June 2014 and Dec. 2020 were retrospectively analyzed. Salvage therapies included local therapy (salvage radiotherapy, salvage cryoablation or salvage radical prostatectomy) and androgen deprivation therapy (ADT). 【Results】 Altogether 8 patients were involved. The median age was 71(63-76) years, the median prostate specific antigen (PSA) at the first diagnosis was 17.650(10.380-325.100) ng/mL, the median nadir post-cryoablation PSA was 0.041(0.003-0.541) ng/mL, and the median PSA at local recurrence was 3.030(2.090-19.180) ng/mL. Abnormal digital rectal examination was found in 3 cases, and radiographic evidence of local recurrence was found in 7 cases. Prostate biopsy was performed in 4 cases, 2 of which had positive results. The median follow-up after salvage therapy lasted for 54 (9-75) months. Four cases received salvage radiotherapy, 2 of which developed bloody stool, hematuresis and urinary tract infection, and recovered after conservative treatment; 1 case received salvage cryoablation without side effects; 1 case underwent radical prostatectomy and radiotherapy, developed lymphorrhagia and recovered after conservative treatment; 2 cases received ADT alone, one experienced hot flashes and recovered after conservative treatment, and the other progressed into castration-resistant prostate cancer after 63 months. No other progression or death occurred at the termination of follow-up. 【Conclusion】 Salvase therapy (salvage radiotherapy, salvage cryoablation, salvage radical prostatectomy) and ADT can be used for local recurrence of tumor following primary prostate cryoablation. However, large-scale prospective research is needed to confirm the effectiveness and safety of different therapies.

A case report of trocar-site metastasis after robot-assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy / 中华泌尿外科杂志

Tumor seeding is rare in prostate cancer. We reported a case of trocar-site metastasis detected at 5 months after robot-assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy in a prostate cancer patient with a mixed histology of small cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma. The patient received 6 cycles of a combination of chemotherapy and immunotherapy and a maintenance regimen of androgen deprivation therapy and immunotherapy at our center. The maintenance of immunotherapy suspended at 10 months after the first dosage due to adverse effect. Three months after the end of chemotherapy, imaging evaluation showed that the tumor had achieved complete remission. Tumor relapse was not detected at 15 months after the suspension of immunotherapy.

Clinical application of nutritional risk scale in pediatric cancer patients:a review / 中国实用护理杂志

The basic information and clinical application of nutritional risk scales for children with cancer were reviewed, and the strengths and weaknesses of each scale were analyzed. After systematic search and reading, the scales with more clinical applications included universal scales: Pediatric Malnutrition Assessment Screening Tool (STAMP), Nutritional Risk and Stunting Malnutrition Screening Tool (STRONG kids), Pediatric Yorkhill Malnutrition Score (PYMS), Pediatric Subjective Global Nutritional Risk Assessment (SGNA); specific scales: Nutritional Screening Tool for Childhood Cancer (SCAN), Nutritional Risk Screening for Childhood Cancer (NRS-PC). In order to effectively manage the nutritional risk of pediatric cancer patients, we should selectively use and further actively Chinese or develop specific nutritional risk measurement tools adapted to our national conditions.

Incidence and factors associated with hepatitis B surface antigen seroclearance in patients co-infected with HBV/HIV during antiretroviral therapy in Guangdong, China / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

BACKGROUND@#Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) clearance is vital for a functional cure of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. However, the incidence and predictors of HBsAg seroclearance in patients co-infected with HBV and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) remain largely unknown in Guangdong, China.@*METHODS@#Between 2009 and 2019, patients co-infected with HBV/HIV undergoing antiretroviral therapy (ART) in Guangzhou Eighth People's Hospital affiliated to Guangzhou Medical University were retrospectively reviewed with the endpoint on December 31, 2020. The incidence and risk factors for HBsAg seroclearance were evaluated using Kaplan-Meier and multivariate Cox regression analyses.@*RESULTS@#A total of 1550 HBV/HIV co-infected patients were included in the study, with the median age of 42 years and 86.0% (1333/1550) males. Further, 98.3% (1524/1550) received ART containing tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) plus lamivudine (3TC). HBV DNA was examined in 1283 cases at the last follow-up. Over the median 4.7 years of follow-up, 8.1% (126/1550) patients achieved HBsAg seroclearance, among whom 50.8% (64/126) obtained hepatitis B surface antibody, 28.1% (137/488) acquired hepatitis B e antigen seroconversion, and 95.9% (1231/1283) undetectable HBV DNA. Compared with patients who maintained HBsAg positive, cases achieving HBsAg seroclearance showed no differences in age, gender, CD4 + T cell count, alanine aminotransferase (ALT) level, or fibrosis status; however, they presented lower HBV DNA levels, lower HBsAg levels, and higher rates of HBV genotype B at the baseline. Multivariate analysis showed that baseline HBsAg <1500 cutoff index (COI) (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR], 2.74, 95% confidence interval [95% CI]: 1.48-5.09), ALT elevation >2 × upper limit of normal during the first six months after receiving ART (aHR, 2.96, 95% CI: 1.53-5.77), and HBV genotype B (aHR, 3.73, 95% CI: 1.46-9.59) were independent predictors for HBsAg seroclearance (all P <0.01).@*CONCLUSIONS@#Long-term TDF-containing ART has high anti-HBV efficacy including relatively high overall HBsAg seroclearance in HBV/HIV co-infected patients. Lower baseline HBsAg levels, HBV genotype B, and elevated ALT levels during the first six months of ART are potential predictors of HBsAg seroclearance.

Risk Management Analysis of Medical Device Registration Self-inspection / 中国医疗器械杂志

Through the analysis of laws and policies related to registration self-inspection, visiting and researching enterprises, holding symposiums, and issuing nationwide questionnaires, the risks in the registration self-inspection process were summarized, analyzed, and evaluated. From the aspects of regulatory departments and manufacturing enterprises, we suggest to improve China's medical device registration regulations system and reduce the risks of all parties in the registration self-inspection work.

Analysis of Factors Affecting Effectiveness of Medical Device Registration Self-inspection from Perspective of Technical Evaluation / 中国医疗器械杂志

Type inspection is a necessary precondition of technical evaluation of medical device. The implementation of The Provisions for Administration of Self-Test for Medical Device Registration facilitates the registration pathway for applicants. How to improve the effectiveness of registration self-test has drawn attention from many stakeholders. In this study, we analyzed and discussed the factors affecting the validity of registration self-test from technical evaluation perspective, and proposed suggestions for improvement accordingly. The aim of this article is to boost the reliability and effectiveness of registration self-test and offer a reference for applicants to carry out registration self-test.

Modification effects of temperature on outpatient visits caused by ozone in Linzhi / 公共卫生与预防医学

Objective To investigate the modification effect of atmospheric temperature on outpatient visits caused by O3 in Linzhi City. Methods The daily outpatient data, the daily O3 concentration and daily meteorological data (including daily average temperature, average relative humidity, etc.) in Linzhi City from 2018 to 2019 were collected. The distributed lag non-liner-model (DLNM) was used to quantitatively evaluate the impact of O3 in different temperature layers on the risk of outpatient visits. Results At low temperature layers, the cumulative relative risk (CRR) of total outpatient visits and non-injury outpatient visits increased by 53.8%（4.2% -126.9%) and 59.1%（5.8% -139.2%）for every 10 μg/m3 increase of O3 concentration, respectively. The subgroup analysis showed that for every 10 μg/m3 increase of O3 concentration at low temperature, the CRR of patients with circulatory diseases, men, women, and people being 3 in Linzhi City. In general, the cumulative risk increases as the temperature decreases.

Analysis and interpretation of genetic testing results from 249 Chinese high to very-high risk non-metastatic prostate cancer patients / 中华泌尿外科杂志

Objective:To analyze germline genetic testing in Chinese high-to very-high-risk non-metastatic prostate cancer patients.Methods:This study included 249 Chinese patients with high- to very-high-risk non-metastatic prostate cancer for germline genetic testing, in Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, West China Hospital and Cancer Center of Sun Yat-sen University, from January 2018 to December 2022. High risk and very-high risk are termed according to National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) Prostate Cancer Guideline (2022 V1). The mean age of the patients was (66.7±9.2) years old and median PSA level was 28.50 (ranging 2.43 - 1481.11) ng/ml. Within these 249 patients, 84 (33.7%) were T 1-2, 98 (39.3%) were T 3-4, while 67 (26.9%) were unclear in T stage. Additionally, 51 patients (20.5%) were classified into International Society of Urological Pathology(ISUP) grade group 1-3 group and 198 patients (79.5%) were in ISUP 4-5 group. Focusing on 16 genetic susceptibility genes for prostate cancer, we interpret the germline genetic testing data in accordance with the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics and the Association for Molecular Pathology (ACMG/AMP) guideline, clarify the germline pathogenic mutation rate and elucidate the clinicopathological characteristics of germline pathogenic mutation carriers. Results:Among Chinese high-to very-high-risk non-metastatic prostate cancer patients, 7.2% (18/249) had germline pathogenic mutations. Patients with mutations had a significantly higher proportion of first-degree relatives with a history of malignancy than those without mutations (50% vs. 13%, P<0.001), but there was no difference in age of onset [(68.2±9.3)years vs. (66.6±9.2) years], PSA level (median: 40.68 ng/ml vs. 28.00 ng/ml), T stage [T 3-4: 38.9%(7/18)vs. 39.4%(91/231)] and ISUP grade [group 4-5: 88.9%(16/18) vs. 78.8%(182/231)]. Germline pathogenic mutations were observed in BRCA2 (7 patients, 38.9%), MSH2 (3 patients, 16.7%), PALB2 (2 patients, 11.1%), ATM (2 patients, 11.1%), RAD51C (1 patient, 5.6%), PMS2 (1 patient, 5.6%), MSH6 (1 patient, 5.6%) and HOXB13 (1 patient, 5.6%). By comparing with normal controls of East-Asian population, germline pathogenic mutations in BRCA2 ( OR=11.1, 95% CI 4.8-25.6, P<0.001) and MSH2 ( OR= 43.5, 95% CI 8.5-200.0, P<0.001) can significantly increase the risk of developing high- to very-high-risk prostate cancer in Chinese males. Conclusions:This study identified a germline pathogenic mutation rate of 7.2% in 249 Chinese patients with high- or very-high-risk non-metastatic prostate cancer. Carrying germline BRCA2 or MSH2 pathogenic mutations can significantly increase the risk of high- or very-high-risk prostate cancer in Chinese men.

Adjuvant or salvage radiotherapy in patients with adverse pathological features after radical prostatectomy / 中华泌尿外科杂志

Radical prostatectomy(RP)was commonly used in localized prostate cancer. For patients with adverse pathological features (APF) after RP, it was controversial about choosing adjuvant radiotherapy or salvage radiotherapy (SRT). Recent studies have found that early salvage radiotherapy(ESRT) had both the same cancer control and reduced overtreatment compared to adjuvant radiotherapy. Nomogram and Gene Classifier(GC) could predict the risk of recurrence after RP and contribute to choose adjuvant radiotherapy or ESRT. PSMA PET/CT was more sensitive to detect distant metastasis after biochemical recurrence, which was helpful to decide whether to implement SRT.

Mechanism and intervention strategies of alexithymia / 四川精神卫生

The purpose of this article is to review the mechanism and intervention strategies of alexithymia， in order to provide a new direction for clinical treatment and research of alexithymia. Alexithymia is not only related to a variety of psychosomatic diseases， but also exists in mental diseases such as depression， anxiety and eating disorders， which seriously affects the quality of life of patients. This article reviews alexithymia and its mechanism in different diseases from cognition， neurological and social-psychological factors， and summarizes the intervention strategies， aiming to provide references for the clinical treatment of alexithymia.

Comparison of ARIMAX and multivariate LSTM model in predicting daily death toll in Yancheng City / 公共卫生与预防医学

Objective To compare the effects of Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average model-X (ARIMAX) and multivariate Long Short Term Memory Network (multivariate LSTM) in the prediction of daily total death toll in Yancheng City. Methods Based on total death toll data, meteorological data and air quality data from January 1st, 2014 to June 30th,2017 in Yancheng City, Jiangsu province, ARIMAX model and multivariate LSTM model were established to predict the daily total death toll from July 1st,2017 to July 14th,2017. RMSE, MAE and MAPE were used as evaluation indexes to compare the prediction effects of these two models. Results RMSE, MAE and MAPE of ARIMAX model and multivariate LSTM model were 20.742、15.094、9.921 and 47.182、35.863、19.633, respectively. Conclusion ARIMAX model is better than multivariate LSTM model to predict the daily death toll in Yancheng city.

Impact of low level viremia on the antiviral effect of human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome patients received anti-retroviral therapy / 中华传染病杂志

Objective:To investigate the impact of low level viremia (LLV) on the prognosis of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) patients received anti-retroviral therapy (ART).Methods:From January to December 2015, the HIV/AIDS patients with LLV received ART over one year were recruited in Guangzhou Eighth People′s Hospital, Guangzhou Medical University (LLV group). Patients with viral load (VL) less than 50 copies/mL were matched at ratio of 1∶1 according to gender, age and the transmission route were included in the control group (suppression group). The LLV group was divided into three subgroups according to VL (LLV-1 subgroup was 50-200 copies/mL, LLV-2 subgroup was 201-400 copies/mL, and LLV-3 subgroup was 401-1 000 copies/mL). The influence of LLV on the antiviral response during the following three years was investigated.The Wilcoxon signed rank test, Kruskal-Wallis test and chi-square test were used for statistical analysis.Results:One hundred and thirty-seven patients were enrolled in the LLV group, of whom 111 were males and 26 were females, with age of (39.5±13.5) years old. At the same time, 137 patients were included in the suppression group. There were 93 cases in LLV-1 subgroup, 25 cases in LLV-2 subgroup and 19 cases in LLV-3 subgroup. There were no significant differences in the CD4 + T lymphocyte counts and CD4 + /CD8 + T lymphocyte counts ratios between LLV group and suppression group before ART (both P>0.05). During the three-year follow-up, the cumulative number of viral failures in LLV group (7.3%(10/137)) was significantly higher than that in the suppression group (1.5%(2/137)) ( χ2=5.578, P=0.018). Virological failure occurred in eight patients (8.6%) in the LLV-1 subgroup, two patients (8.0%) in the LLV-2 subgroup, and no patients in the LLV-3 subgroup. There was no statistical significance in the incidence of virological failure among all the subgroups ( P>0.05). At one, two, three years follow-up, the CD4 + T lymphocyte counts increased in both LLV group and suppression group without statistical differences (all P>0.05), and the CD4 + /CD8 + T lymphocyte counts ratios in each LLV group were lower than that in the suppression group ( Z=-3.183, -2.094 and -2.312, respectively, all P<0.05). At one, two, three years follow-up, There were no significant differences in CD4 + /CD8 + T lymphocyte counts ratios among the LLV-1, LLV-2 and LLV-3 subgroups (all P>0.05). Conclusion:HIV/AIDS patients with LLV having received ART over one year are more likely to develop virological failure and delay the recovery of immune function, which requires early relevant interventions.

Prognostic factors of salvage radiotherapy after radical prostatectomy / 中华泌尿外科杂志

Objective:To investigate the prognosis after salvage radiotherapy with or without hormone therapy for prostate cancer.Methods:From May 2014 to December 2020, 248 patients undergoing salvage radiotherapy due to prostate-specific antigen (PSA)persistence or biochemical progression after radical prostatectomy at Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center (n=157) and West China Hospital, Sichuan University (n=91) were analyzed. Median age was 66 (45-78) years old. Median PSA was 23.50 (0.18-845.00) ng/ml. The number of PSA persistence and biochemical progression were 143 (59%) and 105 (42%). The number of pT 2, pT 3a, pT 3b, pT 4, and unknown T stage was 99, 49, 78, 15 and 7 cases.The number of N 0, N 1 and unknown N stage was 153, 44 and 51 cases. 165 cases had positive surgical margin. Gleason score of 6, 7, 8, >8 score and unknown was in 12, 104, 34, 90 and 8 patients. Early and late salvage radiotherapy was performed in 117 and 131 patients, and 70 patients (28%) were CRPC. Hormone therapy was used combined with radiotherapy in 182 patients (73%). PSA decline after radiotherapy was compared with Chi-squre test. Kaplan-Meier method and log-rank test were used to compare progression free-survival (PFS)after radiotherapy. Univariate and multivariate analyses of PFS were performed using Cox proportional hazards model. Early salvage radiotherapy was defined as PSA≤0.5 ng/ml before radiotherapy, and late salvage radiotherapy was defined as PSA>0.5ng/ml. Results:PSA response (PSA decline ≥50%) rate was 94% (233/248), and 82% (203/248) patients had PSA decline ≥ 90%. Twelve (5%) patients had rising PSA after completing radiotherapy, but only 4 (2%) had real progression. The median PFS was 69 months (95% CI 68-70), and 3-year and 5-year PFS rate were 80% and 67%. PFS of PSA persistence and biochemical progression were similar ( HR =0.71, 95% CI 0.37-1.37, P=0.311). Compared with late salvage radiotherapy, early salvage radiotherapy had better PFS [69 (95% CI 68-70) vs. 59 (95% CI 44-74) months, P<0.001]. Compared with hormone sensitive, castration-resistant was associated with worse PFS (5-year PFS rate 74% vs. 51%, P<0.001). In multivariate analysis, Gleason score>8, castration-resistant and late salvage radiotherapy were unfavorable prognostic factors. Conclusions:In patients receiving salvage radiotherapy with or without hormone therapy for PSA persistence and biochemical progression after radical prostatectomy, high PSA level before radiotherapy and castration resistant is associated with poor prognosis.

A multicenter comparative study of limited and extended pelvic lymph node dissection for high-risk prostate cancer patients / 中华泌尿外科杂志

Objective:To compare the pathological results and complications of limited and extended pelvic lymph node dissection among high-risk prostate cancer patients, and to explore the risk factors that affect the rate of lymph node metastasis in high-risk prostate cancer patients.Methods:The data of 800 high-risk prostate cancer patients who underwent radical prostatectomy and pelvic lymph node dissection from January 2016 to December 2020 in three affiliated hospital of Sun Yat-sen University were analyzed retrospectively. According to the scope of pelvic lymph node dissection, they were divided into limited pelvic lymph node dissection (LPLND) group and extended pelvic lymph node dissection (EPLND) group. There were 172 patients underwent LPLND, and 628 patients underwent EPLND.The age of the patients in the LPLND group was 67 (62, 72) years old, diagnosed PSA 20.7 (10.9, 54.8) ng/ml. The biopsy Gleason score 6 in 22 cases, 7 in 59 cases, 8 in 56 cases and 9-10 in 35 cases.The clinical T stage: T 1 in 29 cases, T 2 in 102 cases, T 3 in 37 cases, T 4 in 4 cases; N 0 in 160 cases and N 1 in 12 cases. 50 patients received neoadjuvant hormonal therapy. The age of patients in the EPLND group was 67 (63, 72) years old, diagnosed PSA was 23.9 (14.0, 46.8) ng/ml. Biopsy Gleason Score 6 in 51 cases, 7 in 194 cases, 8 in 218 cases and 9-10 in 165 cases. Clinical T stage: T 1 in 114 cases, T 2 in 341 cases, T 3 in 144 cases, T 4 in 29 cases; N 0 in 526 cases and N 1 in 102 cases.158 patients received neoadjuvant hormonal therapy. There were no significant differences in the age, PSA, puncture Gleason score, clinical T stage, and whether or not to receive neoadjuvant hormonal therapy between the two groups of patients ( P>0.05). The difference in clinical N staging was statistically significant ( P=0.002). The number of postoperative lymph nodes, positive pelvic lymph nodes and postoperative complications and other related clinical and pathological data of the two groups were analyzed. Multivariate logistic regression was used to analyze the risk factors of patients with positive lymph nodes. Results:The median number of lymph nodes harvested [13(8, 19)vs. 6(4, 13), P<0.001] and the rate of positive lymph node cases[31.2%(196/628) vs. 10.5%(18/172), P<0.001] in the EPLND group was significantly higher than those in the LPLND group. Preoperative PSA, clinical N staging, Gleason score, and way of lymph node dissection were independent risk factors for postoperative positive pelvic lymph node in high-risk prostate cancer patients. Compared with the LPLND group, the ELPND group had a higher postoperative complication rate [19.9%(125/628) vs. 11.0%(11/172), P=0.007]. Conclusions:Compared with the LPLND, EPLND in high-risk prostate cancer patients can harvest more lymph nodes and increase the detection rate of positive lymph nodes. The complications of EPLND were higher than those of LPLND. Preoperative PSA, clinical N stage, Gleason score, and the way of lymph node dissection are independent risk factors for positive pelvic lymph node dissection.

The progress of novel androgen receptor inhibitors for non-metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer / 中华泌尿外科杂志

Prostate cancer is one of the most common cancers threatening the health of males. The incidence of prostate cancer in China is on the rise. Non-metastatic castration-resistant stage is a special disease stage during the progression of prostate cancer, early identification of nmCRPC and prompt intervention can help delay disease progression and prolong patient survival. In recent years, many studies demonstrated the efficacy of novel androgen receptor inhibitors such as apalutamide, in prolonging metastasis-free survival and time to symptomatic progression in patients with non-metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (nmCRPC). This article reviews the recent progress of novel androgen receptor inhibitors for nmCRPC.

Caution in cytoreductive radical prostatectomy for metastatic prostate cancer / 中华泌尿外科杂志

A number of retrospective studies suggested that patients with metastatic prostate cancer can benefit from cytoreductive radical prostatectomy. However, high-level evidence is still lack, and the efficacy and patients' characteristics who will benefit from the treatment are not clear. It should be carried out with caution in clinical practice.

Suggestion of novel hormone therapy for metastatic prostate cancer / 中华泌尿外科杂志

Several phase Ⅲ clinical trials have confirmed that androgen deprivation therapy combined with novel hormone therapy can prolong the survival of patients with metastatic prostate cancer. It has become a commonly used scheme in clinical practice. The physical condition, concomitant diseases and economic status of patients, side effects, accessibility, costs and approved indications of drugs should also be considered when selecting the novel hormone therapy drugs for these patients. The sequential use of novel hormone therapy drugs and the conversion of corticosteroids benefit some patients, which can be selected carefully.

Rapid and accurate identification of COVID-19 infection through machine learning based on clinical available blood test results

Since the sudden outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), it has rapidly evolved into a momentous global health concern. Due to the lack of constructive information on the pathogenesis of COVID-19 and specific treatment, it highlights the importance of early diagnosis and timely treatment. In this study, 11 key blood indices were extracted through random forest algorithm to build the final assistant discrimination tool from 49 clinical available blood test data which were derived by commercial blood test equipments. The method presented robust outcome to accurately identify COVID-19 from a variety of suspected patients with similar CT information or similar symptoms, with accuracy of 0.9795 and 0.9697 for the cross-validation set and test set, respectively. The tool also demonstrated its outstanding performance on an external validation set that was completely independent of the modeling process, with sensitivity, specificity, and overall accuracy of 0.9512, 0.9697, and 0.9595, respectively. Besides, 24 samples from overseas infected patients with COVID-19 were used to make an in-depth clinical assessment with accuracy of 0.9167. After multiple verification, the reliability and repeatability of the tool has been fully evaluated, and it has the potential to develop into an emerging technology to identify COVID-19 and lower the burden of global public health. The proposed tool is well-suited to carry out preliminary assessment of suspected patients and help them to get timely treatment and quarantine suggestion. The assistant tool is now available online at http://lishuyan.lzu.edu.cn/COVID2019_2/. FundingThis work was supported by the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (lzujbky-2020-sp11) and the Gansu Provincial COVID-19 Science and Technology Major Project, China.

Flocked swab might be one main reason causing the high false-negative rate in COVID-19 screening----the advantages of a novel silicone swab

RNA testing using RT-PCR can provide direct evidence for diagnoses of COVID-19 which has brought unexpected disasters and changes to our human society. However, the absorption of cotton swab for RNA lysates may lead to a low concentration of detectable RNA, which might be one of the main reasons for the unstable positive detecting rate. We designed and manufactured a kind of silicone swab with concave-convex structure, and further compared the effects of silicone and cotton swab on RNA extraction. Principal component analysis and Paired Wilcoxcon test suggested that a higher RNA concentration and A260/A280 would be obtained using silicone swab. The results indicated that our silicone swab had a more excellent ability to sample than the cotton swab, characterized by the higher quantity and quality of extracted RNA. Thus, we advised that the current cotton swabs need to be improved urgently in COVID-19 diagnoses and the process of "sample collection" and "sample pre-processing" must be standardized and emphasized. HighlightsThe current cotton swabs need to be improved urgently in COVID-19 screening.