【Objective】To measure the orbital fat fraction（FF）of Graves ophthalmopathy（GO）patients and normal individuals with MR Water- fat separation（Dixon） technology ，and to explore the value of orbit MR quantitative fat analysis in diagnosis and treatment for GO patients.【Methods】Forty GO patients and 20 normal individuals who underwent orbital MR imaging were analyzed prospectively from February 2017 to February 2019 in the First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat- sen University. All participants received bilateral orbital MR examination with oblique coronary FSE T2- weighted imaging combined with two-point Dixon technique，and then the signal intensity values of ipsilateral extraocular muscles and lacrimal glands on water and fat phase images were measured to calculate FF. The differences of mean FF between the two groups were evaluated，and the correlation between FF of GO and TRAb，CAS score，and the course of GO were conducted by Spearman rank correlation analysis. 【Results】 The median FF of extraocular muscles in GO patients was higher than that of normal individuals，and the result showed a statistically significant difference（P < 0.05）， while the FF of lacrimal glands in the two groups showed no statistical difference. The FF of extraocular muscles in the GO group were correlated with TRAb，CAS score and the course of GO（P < 0.05），especially the course was more correlative.【Conclusions】The fat content of extraocular muscles in GO patients were higher than that of normal individuals ，and there was a positive correlation in the fat content among TRAb，CAS score and the course of GO，suggesting that MR fat quantitative analysis may provide a new reference indexes for the evaluation of clinical staging ，curative effect assessment in GO patients.

Objective To explore the efficacy and safety of evolocumab in elderly patients with high-risk cardiovascular diseases.Methods A total of 153 patients with poor lipid control after conventional statin therapy who were hospitalized in the cardiologic departments in the First,Sec-ond,Sixth and Eighth Medical Centers of Chinese PLA General Hospital from November 2019 to November 2022 were included,and divided into non-elderly group(＜60 years old,46 cases),eld-erly group(60-74 years old,66 case)and very elderly group(≥75 years old,41 cases).They were all given evolocumab treatment according to guidelines.Another 50 over-75-year-old patients with high-risk cardiovascular diseases and poor lipid control who were hospitalized in the above cardiologic departments during the same period were treated with a statin drug combined with ezetimibe,and served as conventional treatment group(control group).The baseline clinical data and the blood indicators at 4th and 12th week after drug administration,and the occurrence of ad-verse drug reactions and major adverse cardiovascular events(MACE)within 12 weeks were com-pared among the groups.Results The levels of LDL-C and TC were significantly decreased in the three evolocumab treatment groups at 4 and 12 weeks after medication when compared with the baseline values(P＜0.05,P＜0.01),but there were no obvious differences in the 2 levels among the 3 groups at 12 weeks(P＞0.05).At the time point,no statistical difference was observed in the incidence of adverse events in the three groups(2.2％vs 3.0％vs 2.4％,P＞0.05).The levels of LDL-C and TC were decreased significantly in the very elderly group and the conventional treatment group at the 12th week when compared with the baseline levels(P＜0.05,P＜0.01),and the LDL-C level at the week was notably lower in the very elderly group than the convention-al treatment group(1.36±0.44 mmol/L vs 1.87±0.56 mmol/L,P＜0.01).But no difference was seen in the incidence of MACE between the 2 groups(12.2％vs 16.0％,P＞0.05),either in sur-vival rate between them(P=0.576).Conclusion For patients of all ages,evolocumab has good short-term efficacy in lipid control,and for those over 75 years old,the drug also shows good effi-cacy and sound safety.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the ectopic grafts of mouse testicular cells by observing the reconstruction of seminiferous tubules, colonization of spermatogenic cells and spermatogenesis using immunodeficient mice as recipients.

METHODSThe testes of newborn male ICR mice were digested to obtain single cell suspension. The cells were then mixed with matrigel and subcutaneously grafted into the dorsal region of the male nude mice. The mice were castrated after the operation and the grafts were dissected from 5 of the nude mice at 4, 6, 8 and 10 weeks, respectively. The success rates of transplantation and the graft diameters were calculated, and the structure of the reconstituted seminiferous tubules, colonization of the germ cells and spermatogenesis were observed by HE staining and immunohistochemistry.

RESULTSAll the mice recipients survived after the testicular cell transplantation. Within 10 weeks after the operation, tissue masses could be observed, with the diameter increased from (3.91 +/- 0.71) mm at 4 weeks to (6.69 +/- 0.50) mm. Neovascularization was detected at the surface of the masses and seminiferous tubule structures found in the grafts. The germ cells that developed from spermatogonia to round spermatids were observed, but with no sperm in the tubules. Germ cells, Sertoli cells and Leydig cells were identified by immunochemical detection of Mvh, Gata4 and P450Scc in the grafts at 8 weeks.

CONCLUSIONSeminiferous tubules could be ectopically reconstructed from suspension of neonatal mouse testicular cells. Ectopic grafting provided a preferable model for the studies on testis tissue engineering and interactions between testicular cells during testicular development and spermatogenesis.

Animals ; Male ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Mice, Inbred ICR ; Mice, Nude ; Seminiferous Tubules ; cytology ; Sertoli Cells ; cytology ; transplantation ; Spermatids ; cytology ; Spermatogenesis ; Testis ; cytology ; transplantation ; Transplantation, Heterologous

PURPOSE: Little is known about combination of the circulating Epstein-Barr viral (EBV) DNA and tumor volume in prognosis of stage II nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) patients in the intensity modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) era. We conducted this cohort study to evaluate the prognostic values of combining these two factors. MATERIALS AND METHODS: By Kaplan-Meier, we compare the differences of survival curves between 385 patients with different EBV DNA or tumor volume levels, or with the combination of two biomarkers mentioned above. RESULTS: Gross tumor volume of cervical lymph nodes (GTVnd, p < 0.001) and total tumor volume (GTVtotal, p < 0.001) were both closely related to pretreatment EBV DNA, while gross tumor volume of nasopharynx (GTVnx, p=0.047) was weakly related to EBV DNA. EBV DNA was significantly correlated with progress-free survival (PFS, p=0.005), locoregional-free survival (LRFS, p=0.039), and distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS, p=0.017), while GTVtotal, regardless of GTVnx and GTVnd, had a significant correlation with PFS and LRFS. The p-values of GTVtotal for PFS and LRFS were 0.008 and 0.001, respectively. According to GTVtotal and pretreatment EBV DNA level, patients were divided into a low-risk group (EBV DNA 0 copy/mL, GTVtotal < 30 cm³; EBV DNA 0 copy/mL, GTVtotal ≥ 30 cm³; or EBV DNA > 0 copy/mL, GTVtotal < 30 cm³) and a high-risk group (EBV DNA > 0 copy/mL, GTVtotal ≥ 30 cm³). When patients in the low-risk group were compared with those in the high-risk group, 3-year PFS (p=0.003), LRFS (p=0.010), and DMFS (p=0.031) rates were statistically significant. CONCLUSION: Pretreatment plasma EBV DNA and tumor volume were both closely correlated with prognosis of stage II NPC patients in the IMRT era. Combination of EBV DNA and tumor volume can refine prognosis and indicate for clinical therapy.
Biomarkers ; Cohort Studies* ; DNA* ; Herpesvirus 4, Human* ; Humans ; Lymph Nodes ; Nasopharynx ; Plasma ; Prognosis ; Radiotherapy* ; Tumor Burden*