As a serious cardiovascular disease, atherosclerosis (AS) causes chronic inflammation and oxidative stress in the body and poses a threat to human health. Lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 (Lp-PLA2) is a member of the phospholipase A2 (PLA2) family, and its elevated levels have been shown to contribute to AS. Lp-PLA2 is closely related to a variety of lipoproteins, and its role in promoting inflammatory responses and oxidative stress in AS is mainly achieved by hydrolyzing oxidized phosphatidylcholine (oxPC) to produce lysophosphatidylcholine (lysoPC). Moreover, macrophage apoptosis within plaque is promoted by localized Lp-PLA2 which also promotes plaque instability. This paper reviews those researches of Chinese medicine in treating AS via reducing Lp-PLA2 levels to guide future experimental studies and clinical applications related to AS.
Humans ; 1-Alkyl-2-acetylglycerophosphocholine Esterase ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Atherosclerosis/drug therapy* ; Lipoproteins ; Plaque, Atherosclerotic ; Biomarkers

ObjectiveTo classify subtypes among middle-aged and elderly type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients aged between 35‒74 years in Shanghai suburbs, to compare their characteristics and analyze incidence risk for cerebrovascular disease among these subtypes, so as to promote personalized and precise treatment of T2DM. MethodsA total of 7 792 patients with T2DM who completed a baseline survey from 2016 and 2019 were selected as the research subjects, based on the data from a natural population cohort and biobank in Shanghai suburbs. Patients were stratified by gender and clustered into subtypes using k-means method based on baseline parameters including the age at T2DM diagnosis, body mass index (BMI), fasting blood glucose, and triglyceride to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio (TG/HDL-C). Patients were followed up until March 31, 2023. Multivariate Cox regression models were used to analyze the association between subtypes and incidence risk for cerebrovascular disease, and those with cerebrovascular disease within 1 year of follow-up survey were excluded from sensitivity analysis. ResultsAmong the 7 792 patients with T2DM, 3 615 were males and 4 177 were females. Stratified by gender, 4 subgroups were identified through k-means clustering analysis, namely poor blood glucose control subgroup, severe insulin-resistant subgroup, younger onset subgroup, and older onset subgroup. The median follow-up time was 4.30 years, during which 1 960 cerebrovascular disease events were observed (844 in males, 1 116 in females). After adjusting for smoking, alcohol consumption, weekly exercise, family history of diabetes mellitus, and duration of diabetes mellitus, among male patients, the incidence risk for cerebrovascular disease was lower in the younger onset subgroup (HR=0.59, 95%CI: 0.48‒0.73, P<0.001), poor blood glucose control subgroup (HR=0.81, 95%CI: 0.65‒1.00, P=0.046), and severe insulin-resistant subgroup (HR=0.61, 95%CI: 0.50‒0.75, P<0.001), compared to the older onset subgroup. While among female patients, the incidence risk for cerebrovascular disease was also lower in the younger onset subgroup (HR=0.68, 95%CI: 0.57‒0.80, P<0.001), poor blood glucose control subgroup (HR=0.73, 95%CI: 0.60‒0.89, P=0.002), and severe insulin-resistant subgroup (HR=0.72, 95%CI: 0.61‒0.85, P<0.001), compared to the older onset subgroup. Results of the sensitivity analysis were consistent with the main findings. ConclusionAmong middle-aged and elderly T2DM patients in suburban Shanghai, both male and female patients have the highest incidence risk for cerebrovascular disease in the older onset subgroup. Subtyping of T2DM patients can help to identify the high-risk populations of cerebrovascular disease.

Objective To compare the value of low-dose spiral CT and conventional-dose CT for diagnosis of benign and malignant pulmonary nodules, so as to provide a reference for early screening of lung cancer. Methods A total of 288 patients diagnosed with pulmonary nodules in Ningguo Municipal People’s Hospital during the period from January 2019 to August 2023 were enrolled, and all patients underwent low-dose chest spiral CT and conventional-dose CT scans. The pathological biopsy of pulmonary nodules served as a gold standard. The sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of low-dose spiral CT and conventional-dose CT for diagnosis of benign and malignant pulmonary nodules and the detection rates of vascular aggregation sign, pleural indentation sign, lobulation sign, and spiculation sign were compared. Results The 288 patients with pulmonary nodules included 186 men and 102 women, with a mean age of 61.12 ± 8.34 years. Among these patients, 218 had benign pulmonary nodules and 70 had malignant pulmonary nodules. There were no significant differences between patients with benign and malignant pulmonary nodules in terms of sex, mean age, and the size, location, and characteristics of pulmonary nodules (all P values > 0.05). However, significant differences were observed in terms of changes in pulmonary nodule size, history of smoking, history of pulmonary infections, and family history of cancers (all P values < 0.05). With pathological biopsy of pulmonary nodules as a gold standard, the sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of conventional-dose CT and low-dose spiral CT for diagnosis of benign and malignant pulmonary nodules were 94.29% and 92.86%, 93.57% and 92.20%, and 93.75% and 92.36%, respectively, with no significant differences (χ² = 1.975, 1.012, and 1.911, all P values > 0.05). There was no significant difference in the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve between conventional-dose CT and low-dose spiral CT (0.937 vs. 0.921; t = 1.021, P > 0.05). The detection rates of vascular aggregation sign, pleural indentation sign, lobulation sign, and spiculation sign were 20.49% and 19.79%, 23.26% and 22.57%, 37.50% and 35.76%, and 29.17% and 27.43%, respectively, for conventional-dose CT and low-dose spiral CT, with no significant differences (χ² = 0.171, 0.212, 1.012, and 1.110, all P values > 0.05). Conclusion The diagnostic sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of benign and malignant pulmonary nodules and the detection rate of pulmonary nodule signs are comparable between conventional-dose CT and low-dose spiral CT. However, low-dose spiral CT has lower radiation dose and higher safety, which deserves extensive applications in early screening for lung cancer.

Objective:To retrospectively analyze the treatment status of tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI) in newly diagnosed patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) in China.Methods:Data of chronic phase (CP) and accelerated phase (AP) CML patients diagnosed from January 2006 to December 2022 from 77 centers, ≥18 years old, and receiving initial imatinib, nilotinib, dasatinib or flumatinib-therapy within 6 months after diagnosis in China with complete data were retrospectively interrogated. The choice of initial TKI, current TKI medications, treatment switch and reasons, treatment responses and outcomes as well as the variables associated with them were analyzed.Results:6 893 patients in CP ( n=6 453, 93.6%) or AP ( n=440, 6.4%) receiving initial imatinib ( n=4 906, 71.2%), nilotinib ( n=1 157, 16.8%), dasatinib ( n=298, 4.3%) or flumatinib ( n=532, 7.2%) -therapy. With the median follow-up of 43 ( IQR 22-75) months, 1 581 (22.9%) patients switched TKI due to resistance ( n=1 055, 15.3%), intolerance ( n=248, 3.6%), pursuit of better efficacy ( n=168, 2.4%), economic or other reasons ( n=110, 1.6%). The frequency of switching TKI in AP patients was significantly-higher than that in CP patients (44.1% vs 21.5%, P<0.001), and more AP patients switched TKI due to resistance than CP patients (75.3% vs 66.1%, P=0.011). Multi-variable analyses showed that male, lower HGB concentration and ELTS intermediate/high-risk cohort were associated with lower cytogenetic and molecular responses rate and poor outcomes in CP patients; higher WBC count and initial the second-generation TKI treatment, the higher response rates; Ph + ACA at diagnosis, poor PFS. However, Sokal intermediate/high-risk cohort was only significantly-associated with lower CCyR and MMR rates and the poor PFS. Lower HGB concentration and larger spleen size were significantly-associated with the lower cytogenetic and molecular response rates in AP patients; initial the second-generation TKI treatment, the higher treatment response rates; lower PLT count, higher blasts and Ph + ACA, poorer TFS; Ph + ACA, poorer OS. Conclusion:At present, the vast majority of newly-diagnosed CML-CP or AP patients could benefit from TKI treatment in the long term with the good treatment responses and survival outcomes.

Humans ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; SARS-CoV-2 ; COVID-19 Vaccines/therapeutic use* ; Pandemics ; COVID-19/prevention & control* ; China/epidemiology* ; Attitude ; Vaccination

Objective: To analyze and compare therapy responses, outcomes, and incidence of severe hematologic adverse events of flumatinib and imatinib in patients newly diagnosed with chronic phase chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) . Methods: Data of patients with chronic phase CML diagnosed between January 2006 and November 2022 from 76 centers, aged ≥18 years, and received initial flumatinib or imatinib therapy within 6 months after diagnosis in China were retrospectively interrogated. Propensity score matching (PSM) analysis was performed to reduce the bias of the initial TKI selection, and the therapy responses and outcomes of patients receiving initial flumatinib or imatinib therapy were compared. Results: A total of 4 833 adult patients with CML receiving initial imatinib (n=4 380) or flumatinib (n=453) therapy were included in the study. In the imatinib cohort, the median follow-up time was 54 [interquartile range (IQR), 31-85] months, and the 7-year cumulative incidences of CCyR, MMR, MR(4), and MR(4.5) were 95.2%, 88.4%, 78.3%, and 63.0%, respectively. The 7-year FFS, PFS, and OS rates were 71.8%, 93.0%, and 96.9%, respectively. With the median follow-up of 18 (IQR, 13-25) months in the flumatinib cohort, the 2-year cumulative incidences of CCyR, MMR, MR(4), and MR(4.5) were 95.4%, 86.5%, 58.4%, and 46.6%, respectively. The 2-year FFS, PFS, and OS rates were 80.1%, 95.0%, and 99.5%, respectively. The PSM analysis indicated that patients receiving initial flumatinib therapy had significantly higher cumulative incidences of CCyR, MMR, MR(4), and MR(4.5) and higher probabilities of FFS than those receiving the initial imatinib therapy (all P<0.001), whereas the PFS (P=0.230) and OS (P=0.268) were comparable between the two cohorts. The incidence of severe hematologic adverse events (grade≥Ⅲ) was comparable in the two cohorts. Conclusion: Patients receiving initial flumatinib therapy had higher cumulative incidences of therapy responses and higher probability of FFS than those receiving initial imatinib therapy, whereas the incidence of severe hematologic adverse events was comparable between the two cohorts.
Adult ; Humans ; Adolescent ; Imatinib Mesylate/adverse effects* ; Incidence ; Antineoplastic Agents/adverse effects* ; Retrospective Studies ; Pyrimidines/adverse effects* ; Leukemia, Myelogenous, Chronic, BCR-ABL Positive/drug therapy* ; Treatment Outcome ; Benzamides/adverse effects* ; Leukemia, Myeloid, Chronic-Phase/drug therapy* ; Aminopyridines/therapeutic use* ; Protein Kinase Inhibitors/therapeutic use*

At present, there is still a big gap between China and developed countries in the field of high-end medical devices, and the ability of independent innovation needs to be improved. In order to comprehensively cultivate innovative talents in the field of medical devices and promote the development of the field of medical devices, the biomedical engineering major of Chongqing Medical University has put forward a "Trinity" innovative talent training system in the field of medical devices, including the teaching of theoretical knowledge, the improvement of practical skills and the guarantee of the innovation system, and established a four stage curriculum system framework of "Perception-Understanding-Enlightenment-Challenge" to form a characteristic course with ultrasonic treatment equipment as the main line. After three years of practice, the results of this training mode show that the innovative ability, professional connotation construction quality and employment postgraduate entrance examination rate of our college students have been steadily improved. The exploration of this talent training mode has reference significance for the cultivation of innovative talents in the field of medical devices in higher medical colleges and universities in China.

Digestive system malignant tumor is one of the common malignant tumors in humans,and its high morbidity and low survival rate at advanced stages bring heavy disease burden to patients,families and society.However,current tumor screening technologies are not suitable for screening in large-scale populations and long-term follow-up because of the invasiveness or complexity.Thus,liquid biopsy,which based on biomarkers such as circulating tumor DNA,circulating tumor cells,exosomes and other new biomarkers,has broad prospects for development in tumor screening.Exosome,secreted by living cells,is a type of extracellular vesicle with the lipid bilayer.Compared to other biomarkers,exosome has the advantages of high stability,wide distribution,and high quantity.The various proteins carried by exosome can reflect the characteristics of the origin cells,and exosome has important research value for the early diagnosis of tumors.This article reviews the studies of exosomal proteins as biomarkers for early diagnosis of digestive system malignant tumors in the past five years,and summarizes the characteristics and limitations of the above studies,so as to provide reference for promoting the clinical transformation of exosomal proteins.

The scientific setting and standardized management of adult vaccination clinics will improve the accessibility of vaccination services, thereby increasing the vaccination rate. Currently, some provinces and cities in China have been exploring the construction of adult vaccination systems for many years, effectively improving the level of vaccination services, and forming some useful experiences and models. However, the construction of China's adult vaccination system is not yet perfect, and the service mode needs to be optimized. In the future, we should continue to improve the guarantee measures for adult vaccination, scientifically lay out the network, optimize the service mode, and improve the overall quality of immunization services over the life course.
Adult ; Humans ; Life Change Events ; Immunization ; Vaccination ; China ; Cities

The scientific setting and standardized management of adult vaccination clinics will improve the accessibility of vaccination services, thereby increasing the vaccination rate. Currently, some provinces and cities in China have been exploring the construction of adult vaccination systems for many years, effectively improving the level of vaccination services, and forming some useful experiences and models. However, the construction of China's adult vaccination system is not yet perfect, and the service mode needs to be optimized. In the future, we should continue to improve the guarantee measures for adult vaccination, scientifically lay out the network, optimize the service mode, and improve the overall quality of immunization services over the life course.
Adult ; Humans ; Life Change Events ; Immunization ; Vaccination ; China ; Cities