BACKGROUND: Carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity in hemodialysis patients is influenced by multiple factors.OBJECTIVE: To explore the carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (PWVcf) changes and related factors in maintenance hemodialysis (MHD) patients.DESIGN, TIME AND SETTING: Non-randomized control experiment was performed at the Third Hospital of Peking University from January to August 2006.PARTICIPANTS: A total of 66 MHD patients were selected from Third Hospital of Peking University.METHODS: General clinical conditions, biochemical indexes, PWVcf and subjective nutritional state were evaluated. MHD patients were divided into two groups according to the state of nutrition evaluated with SGA: non-malnutrition (n=49), malnutrition group (n=17). The PWVcf of two groups was compared, and one-way and multiple regression analyses were performed to explore PWVcf-relatest factors.MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: PWVcf, blood albumin and parathyroid hormone.RESULTS: PWVcf was significantly positively correlated with age (r= 0.284, P< 0.05), systolic blood pressure (r= 0.468, P<0. 001), and pulse pressure (r=0.451, P< 0.001), while negatively correlated with prealbumin (r=0.318, P< 0. 05),plasma-albumin (r=0.263, P< 0.05), parathyroid hormone (r=0.167, P< 0.05), serum creatinine (r=0.347, P= 0.004)and transferring (r=0.284, P < 0.05) before dialysis. Multiple regression analysis demonstrated that pulse pressure and parathyroid hormone were independently related with PWVcf. The PWVcf was significantly increased in malnutrition group compared with non-malnutrition group (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Pulse pressure is the major clinical determinants of arterial stiffness in patients with MHD independent of conventional risk factors for cardiovascular disease; Malnutrition and atherosclerosis are common complications of MHD,showing close relationship. The PWVcf was significantly increased in malnutrition patients.

BACKGROUND:Little data have been available concerning function features of arterial elasticity in patients with chronic kidney disease at 2-5 stage not undergoing dialysis.Studies have demonstrated that carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity(PWVcf) can be used to evaluate arterial elasticity.OBJECTIVE:To explore the changes and influential factors of PWVcf in patients with chronic kidney disease.DESIGN,TIME AND SETTING:A non-randomized controlled experiment was performed at the Department of Nephrology,Peking University Third Hospital from January to August 2006.PARTICIPANTS:166 patients with chronic kidney disease and 28 health persons were selected from Peking University Third Hospital.METHODS:The patients were divided into 3 groups based on the Kidney/Dialysis Outcomes Quality Initiative(K/DOQI) guideline for chronic kidney disease:mild group(at stage 1 to 2),moderate group(at stage 3) and severe group(at stage 4 to 5);the healthy people served as control.Body mass,blood pressure,PWVcf and biochemical indicators were determined to calculate glomerular filtration rate and compare the differences.One-way and multiple regression analyses were used to explore related factors of PWVcf.MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES:PWVcf and influential factors.RESULTS:Compared with control group,the patients had significantly higher levels of systolic blood pressure,diastolic blood pressure,pulse pressure and PWVcf(P

Objective To investigate the expression level of lipoprotein lipase (LPL) mRNA in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) patients and evaluate the prognostic value of LPL in CLL Methods Quantitative real-time RT-PCR (qRT-PCR) was performed in 62 CLL patients, 10 normal controls using Taqman probe system. Association between LPL and other known prognostic factors, such as IgVH mutation status, ZAP-70 and CD38 expression, was determined using the Spearman correlation analysis. ROC curve was used to determine the cut-off value of LPL expression level, the positive and negative predictive value of IgVH mutation status. Results The correlation coefficients of the standard curves in qRT-PCR were not less than 0.990. The coefficients of variation (CV) of interrun assay and intramn assay were < 5%, and the sensitivity can reached 102 copies/μg RNA. The median LPL mRNA expression level was 0.006 0 (0-0.737 0) in 62 CLL patients, whereas in 10 normal controls LPL mRNA expression level was extremely low with the median level of 0 (0-0.000 4). The expression levels of LPL in three CLL samples after miniMACS-sorted CD19 positive B cells were 0.036 0, 0.075 0 and 0.197 0, which were similar to the levels before miniMACS-sorted (0.024 0, 0.074 0 and 0.225 0). LFL expression was significantly associated with IgVH mutation status (r=0.45, P<0.05) . LPL expression level in IgVH unmutated patients [0.006 0 (0.000 7-0.110 0)] was significantly higher than the level in IgVH mutated patients [0.002 0(0.000 2-0.027 0)] (U=96.5, P<0.05). LPL expression was also significantly associated with ZAP-70 (r=0.38, P<0.05), CD38 expressions (r=0.43, P<0.05). According to ROC curve, the cut-off of LPL mRNA expression level was 0.036, with a 66.7% specificity, a 72.4% sensitivity, a 51.8% positive predictive value (IgVH unmutated), and a 83.3% negative predictive value (IgVH mutated) for IgVH mutation status. Conclusions The qRT-PCR assay is reliable and sensitive. LPL mRNA expression significantly correlates with IgVH mutation status, ZAP-70 and CD38 expression, and could be a predictive marker of IgVH mutation status. Our data confirms a role for LPL as a novel prognostic indicator in CLL.

Objective:To investigate the work stress and its influencing factors among hospice care physicians and nurses in medical institutions in Shanghai.Methods:It was a cross-sectional study. The study was carried out between December 2021 and January 2022. By use of multistage random sampling, 256 hospice care physicians and nurses were selected from community healthcare centers, secondary and tertiary hospitals in Shanghai to attend a WeChat-based survey using a self-designed questionnaire. The chi-square test was used to compare the differences in prevalence of work stress and stressors among all subjects with different characteristics. Binary logistic regression analysis was used to explore the major determinants associated with work stress. And the sources of work stress and the expepectd decompression countermeasures were investigated.Results:A total of 256 valid questionnaires were collected with a recovery rate of 100.0%. The median of work stress score was 7.5 (6.0, 9.0). Logistic regression analysis showed that those aged>40 years old and working for ≥5 years in hospice care service had higher level of work stress ( OR=3.78, 2.04; P=0.007, 0.039), and those with monthly income>10 000 RMB Yuan had lower level of work stress ( OR=0.34, P=0.005). The top three stressors were the death of patients (88.3%, 226/256), low income (78.1%, 200/256), difficulty in promotion (67.2%, 172/256). The top three way that doctors and nurses desired to reduce work stress were to increase income (88.3%, 226/256) and optimize performance appraisal target (78.1%, 200/256) and promotion mechanism (66.0%, 169/256). Conclusions:In general, the work stress among hospice care physicians and nurses is at a high level in Shanghai and the stressors are widely distributed. Age, monthly salary and years of working in hospice care unit are independent factors of work stress. Improving salary, optimizing performance appraisal target and promotion mechanism are the most desired strategies to reduce work stress among hospice care physicians and nurses.

Objective:To survey the status quo of hospice care service in community health service centers in Shanghai.Methods:A questionnaire survey was conducted to investigate the situation of hospice care services from January 2021 to December 2021 in 16 community health service centers selected by stratified sampling from 16 districts in Shanghai.Results:Among 16 community health service centers, 13 provided inpatient hospice care services, 16 provide home hospice care and 14 provided outpatient hospice care services; and totally 1 935 (77.93%), 158 (6.36%) and 390 (15.71%) patients received palliative care, respectively. In centers providing inpatient hospice care service, the average bed number was 12 (10, 20); the annual number of patients was 58 (29, 137); the average length of hospital stay was (29.55±11.18) days; and the bed occupancy rate was (55.51±30.02)%, which in urban districts was significantly higher than that in rural districts ((74.76±19.33)% vs.(39.00±28.32)%; t=2.61, P=0.024). The number of patients receiving home hospice care in each center was 10 (3, 19) and the average duration of home service was (66.97±29.41) days. The proportion of physician fee of inpatient hospice care and that of home hospice care were (8.61±5.27)% and (6.25±3.11)%, respectively. While the proportion of medication expenses of inpatient hospice care and that of home hospice care were (35.60±16.13)% and(49.58±9.16)%, respectively. The outpatient hospice service were opened 2.0 (1.0, 4.0) days a week in 14 centers and 95 (58, 199) patients received services. Inpatient services were mainly provided for the patients with non-malignant chronic diseases (53.23%, 1 030/1 935), while home hospice care (89.87%, 142/158) and outpatient hospice care (83.85%, 327/390) mainly provided service for malignant patients. Conclusion:There is still room for improvement about the hospice care services delivered by community health service centers in Shanghai:discrepancy of utilization of hospice care services between urban districts and rural districts, low utilization of home and outpatient hospice care services, unreasonable cost composition in inpatient and home hospice care services.

Objective:To investigate the status quo of pain management for cancer patients in hospice care wards of community health service centers.Methods:The electronic medical records of 373 cancer patients admitted in hospice wards of Kangjian Community Health Center of Xuhui District and Jinshanwei Town Community Health Center of Jinshan District from January 2015 to July 2021 were collected. The characteristics of cancer pain, the use of analgesic drugs, the effects of analgesic drugs and its influencing factors were analyzed.Results:The incidence of cancer pain in 373 patients was 93.0% (347/373), and the proportion of moderate to severe cancer pain was 55.6% (193/347). Analgesics were used in 304 patients, among whom 233 (76.6%) patients used oral analgesics, 297 (97.7%) used on time, 97.6%(285/292) used sustained-release opioids, and 94 (30.9%) used combinedly. Breakout pain occurred in 100 cases (32.9%), all of which was controlled with immediate-release morphine. Cancer pain was not relieved in 132 cases (43.42%), and multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that the pain degree on admission (moderate: OR=3.69, 95 %CI:2.09-6.49; severe: OR=5.52, 95 %CI:2.43-12.53), the presence of burst pain ( OR=3.28, 95 %CI:1.77-6.06), the type of analgesics used (non-steroidal+weak opioids: OR=0.39, 95 %CI:0.20-0.76; nonsteroidal+strong opioids: OR=0.20, 95 %CI:0.08-0.51) and the adverse reactions ( OR=1.92, 95 %CI:1.03-3.60) were the influencing factors of pain relief in cancer pain patients (all P<0.05). Conclusion:The pain of cancer patients admitted to community palliative care wards cannot be ignored. Although most cancer pain patients use analgesic drugs in a standard way, there are still a high proportion of patients whose pain is not controlled. Various factors affect the effect of analgesic treatment.

BACKGROUND: The switch/sucrose nonfermentable chromatin-remodeling (SWI/SNF) complex is a pivotal chromatin remodeling complex, and the genomic alterations (GAs) of the SWI/SNF complex are observed in several cancer types, correlating with multiple biological features of tumor cells. However, their role in liver metastasis of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) remains unclear. Our study aims to investigate the role and potential mechanisms underlying NSCLC liver metastasis induced by the GAs of SWI/SNF complex. METHODS: The GAs of SWI/SNF complex in NSCLC cell lines (H1299, H23 and H460) were identified by whole-exome sequencing (WES). ARID1A knockout H1299 cell was constructed with the CRISPR/Cas9 technology. The mouse model of liver metastasis from NSCLC was established to simulate lung cancer liver metastasis and observe the metastasis rate under different gene mutation conditions. RNA sequencing and Western blot were conducted for differential gene expression analysis. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) analysis was used to assess protein expression levels of SWI/SNF-regulated target molecules in mouse liver metastases. RESULTS: WES analysis revealed intracellular gene mutations. The animal experiments demonstrated a correlation between the GAs of SWI/SNF complex and a higher liver metastasis rate in immunodeficient mice. Transcriptome sequencing and Western blot analysis showed upregulated expression of ALDH1A1 and APOBEC3B in SWI/SNF-mut cells, particularly in ARID1A-deficient H460 and H1299 sgARID1A cells. IHC staining of mouse liver metastases further demonstrated elevated expression of ALDH1A1 in the H460 and H1299 sgARID1A group. CONCLUSIONS This study underscores the critical role of the GAs of SWI/SNF complex, such as ARID1A and SMARCA4, in promoting liver metastasis of lung cancer cells. The GAs of SWI/SNF complex may promote liver-specific metastasis by upregulating ALDH1A1 and APOBEC3B expression, providing novel insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying lung cancer liver metastasis.
Animals ; Mice ; Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung/genetics* ; Lung Neoplasms/genetics* ; Mutation ; Liver Neoplasms/genetics*