ObjectiveTo investigate the association between the maintenance treatment of modified Yiqi Huoxue Jiedu Formula （益气活血解毒方） or poly ADP ribose polymerase （PARP） inhibitors and the recurrence and metastasis of advanced ovarian cancer. MethodsA case-control study design was employed， dividing patients with advanced ovarian cancer into two groups based on the occurrence of recurrence and metastasis following first-line maintenance treatment. Patients with recurrence and metastasis comprised the case group， while those without recurrence and metastasis served as the control group. The previous first-line maintenance treatment method was set as the exposure factor in the study （with the use of modified Yiqi Huoxue Jiedu Formula defined as exposed and PARP inhibitors defined as unexposed）. Basic information was collected for both groups， including the achievement of satisfactory R0 surgery， age， stage， neoadjuvant chemotherapy， lymph node metastasis， germline BRCA1/2 mutations， homologous recombination deficiency positivity， first-line maintenance treatment method （modified Yiqi Huoxue Jiedu Formula or PARP inhibitors）， and CA125 levels after the last chemotherapy. The baseline data of the two groups were assessed for differences. If there exists difference， a 1∶1 nearest neighbor matching method was used for propensity score matching. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were employed to evaluate the association between the modified Yiqi Huoxue Jiedu Formula or PARP inhibitors and the recurrence and metastasis of ovarian cancer. ResultsA total of 201 patients with advanced ovarian cancer were included， with 97 in the case group and 104 in the control group. Both groups showed statistically significant differences in R0 surgery， stage， neoadjuvant chemotherapy， and CA125 levels after the last chemotherapy （P＜0.05）， indicating baseline imbalance. After propensity score matching， there were 71 patients in both the case and control groups， achieving baseline balance （P＞0.05）. Univariate logistic regression analysis indicated that the achievement of satisfactory R0 surgery （P = 0.006）， disease stage （P = 0.001）， the use of neoadjuvant chemotherapy （P = 0.024）， treatment modality （P = 0.006）， and CA125 levels after the last chemotherapy （P = 0.013） were associated with the recurrence and metastasis of ovarian cancer. Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that disease stage was an independent influencing factor for the recurrence and metastasis of ovarian cancer （P = 0.030）， whereas the P-value for the correlation between first-line maintenance treatment and ovarian cancer was 0.188. ConclusionFirst-line maintenance treatment of ovarian cancer patients with the use of modified Yiqi Huoxue Jiedu Formula or PARP inhibitors does not correlate with the recurrence and metastasis of ovarian cancer.

ObjectiveTo analyze the distribution of traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） syndrome elements in patients with immune-related adverse events （irAEs） associated with malignant tumor immunotherapy and to explore the influencing factors for the occurrence of irAEs. MethodsClinical data were retrospectively collected from malignant tumor patients treated with programmed death-1 （PD-1） inhibitors， including demographic information， tumor history， duration of immunotherapy， occurrence of irAEs， types and grades of irAEs （G1-G5）， and TCM four-diagnostic information. Patients were divided into irAEs group and the non-irAEs group based on the occurrence of irAEs. Propensity score matching （PSM） at a 1∶2 ratio was performed to balance baseline characteristics between groups. Syndrome elements before treatment and cumulative contributions of syndrome elements before and after irAEs onset were evaluated using the "Syndrome Elements Differentiation Scale". Logistic regression analysis was conducted to identify factors associated with the occurrence of irAEs. The use of glucocorticoids in the irAEs group was also analyzed. ResultsAfter 1∶2 matching， 59 patients were included in the irAEs group and 118 were in the non-irAEs group. No statistically significant differences were found between groups in terms of age， gender， primary tumor site， pathological type， or tumor stage （P＞0.05）. Patients in the non-irAEs group were more likely to have received targeted therapy， while the irAEs group had a longer duration of immunotherapy and a higher rate of positive programmed death-ligand 1 （PD-L1） expression （P＜0.05）. In total， 72 irAEs events occurred among 59 patients， with an overall incidence rate of 19.4% （59/304） and a grade 3~5 incidence rate of 6.8% （4/59）， mainly presenting as cardiotoxicity， nephrotoxicity， and pneumotoxicity.Before immunotherapy， the top three syndrome elements in the irAEs group were spleen （71.2%， 42/59）， kidney （42.4%， 25/59）， and lung （39.0%， 23/59）. For the pathogenic nature elements， yin deficiency （52.5%， 31/59）， phlegm （40.7%， 24/59）， and dampness （35.6%， 21/59） ranked highest. Compared to the non-irAEs group， the distribution of spleen， kidney， liver， yin deficiency， and qi deficiency elements showed significant differences in the irAEs group （P＜0.05）. After the occurrence of irAEs， the cumulative contributions of spleen， lung， stomach， heart， yin deficiency， qi deficiency， and yang hyperactivity elements increased significantly （P＜0.05）. Multivariate Logistic regression analysis indicated that duration of immunotherapy， spleen syndrome element， kidney syndrome element， liver syndrome element， yin deficiency element， and qi deficiency element were independent risk factors for irAEs （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）. Among the irAEs patients， 15 received glucocorticoid combined with TCM treatment， while 6 received glucocorticoid therapy alone. Patients receiving combined treatment required lower doses and shorter courses of glucocorticoids compared to those treated with glucocorticoids alone （P＜0.05）. ConclusionIn malignant tumor patients， spleen， kidney， lung， yin deficiency， phlegm， dampness， and qi deficiency are the predominant syndrome elements before and after the occurrence of irAEs. However， elements such as heat and qi stagnation significantly increase after irAEs onset. Duration of immunotherapy， spleen， kidney， liver syndrome elements， yin deficiency， and qi deficiency are independent risk factors for the development of irAEs.

Objective To explore the value of high-frequency ultrasound in the detection of metastatic hepatocellular carcinoma and displaying lesion characteristics. Methods A total of 38 paitients with hepatocellular carcinoma satellite lesions within 40 mm of subcutaneous tissue were underwent low-frequency (1-5 MHz) and high-frequency (6-9 MHz) ultrasound. Detection rates and ultrasonic features were compared. Results High-frequency grayscale ultrasound had a higher detection rate (71.1% vs. 36.8%, P＜0.001). Subgroup analysis showed higher detection rates with chemotherapy history (88.9% vs. 33.3%, P＝0.002), fatty liver (71.9% vs 31.3%, P＜0.001) or superficial lesion (within 20 mm, 76.5% vs 41.2%, P＝0.031). High-frequency ultrasound also showed clearer margins (P＝0.004) and more arterial-phase rim enhancement (P＝0.007). Conclusions 6-9 MHz ultrasound detects metastatic hepatocellular carcinoma, especially superficial lesions, more effectively than 1-5 MHz ultrasound and better visualizes characteristics.

Objective To investigate the association of neuregulin 4(NRG4)and meteorin-like protein(Metrnl)with insulin resistance in patients with metabolic syndrome(MS).Methods From September to November 2023,totally 60 MS patients in Anhui No.2 Provincial People's Hospital were selected as MS group,and 60 physical examination healthy people were selected as control group.The changes of human mor-phological indicators,biochemical indicators,blood routine,NRG4,Metrnl,insulin resistance index(HOMA-IR)and other indicators in the two groups were observed,and the correlation between NRG4,Metrnl and HO-MA-IR and each index was analyzed,and the diagnostic value of NRG4 and Metrnl for MS was evaluated.Re-sults Compared with the control group,the levels of white blood cell count(WBC),alanine aminotransferase(ALT),uric acid(UA),triglyceride(TG),total cholesterol(TC),fasting insulin(FINS),HOMA-IR,body weight,body mass index(BMI),waist circumference,hip circumference,waist-hip ratio(WHR),and body fat ratio were significantly increased in MS group(P<0.05),however,high density lipoprotein cholesterol(HDL-C),NRG4,and Metrnl were significantly decreased(P<0.05).Spearman correlation analysis showed that serum NRG4 was positively correlated with Metrnl and HDL-C(P<0.05),and negatively correlated with TG,FINS,HOMA-IR,body weight,waist circumference,hip circumference,WHR,and ALT(P<0.05).Serum Metrnl was positively correlated with NRG4 and HDL-C(P<0.05),and negatively correlated with TG and hip circumference(P<0.05).Binary Logistic regression analysis showed that NRG4 and Metrnl were protective factors for MS(P<0.05).The receiver operating characteristic curve analysis showed that the sensitivity of NRG4,Metrnl,and their combination for diagnosing MS was 67%,41%,and 67%,respec-tively,the specificity was 71%,95%,and 86%,respectively,and the area under the curve was 0.713,0.635,and 0.787,respectively.Conclusion The levels of serum NRG4 and Metrnl are decreased in MS patients,and NRG4 is associated with insulin resistance.The combination of NRG4 and Metrnl has a certain diagnostic val-ue for MS.

Objective To investigate the relationship between the mean platelet volume(MPV)to platelet count(PLT)ratio(MPV/PLT),blood urea nitrogen(BUN)to lipoprotein a[Lp(a)]ratio[BUN/Lp(a)]and the prognosis of patients with acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease(COPD).Methods A total of 106 patients with acute exacerbation of COPD admitted to the hospital from January 2021 to January 2024 were selected as the research objects.According to the prognosis,they were divided into sur-vival group(72 cases)and death group(34 cases).The results of routine laboratory tests,blood lipid and lipo-protein levels were compared between the two groups.Multivariate Logistic regression was used to analyze the influencing factors of death in patients with acute exacerbation of COPD.The receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve was used to evaluate the predictive value of MPV/PLT and BUN/Lp(a)for the prognosis of pa-tients with acute exacerbation of COPD.Results Compared with the survival group,the invasive ventilation rate,acute physiology and chronic health evaluation Ⅱ(APACHE Ⅱ)score,C reactive protein(CRP),white blood cell count(WBC),MPV,BUN,MPV/PLT and BUN/Lp(a)were significantly increased in the death group(P＜0.05).The non-invasive ventilation rate,lymphocyte count,PLT and Lp(a)levels were signifi-cantly decreased(P＜0.05).Multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that APACHE Ⅱ score,CRP,WBC,lymphocyte count,MPV,PLT,MPV/PLT,BUN,Lp(a)and BUN/Lp(a)were the influencing factors of death in patients with acute exacerbation of COPD(P＜0.05).ROC curve results showed that the sensitivity and specificity of MPV/PLT combined with BUN/Lp(a)for predicting the prognosis of patients with acute exacerbation of COPD were 88.2％and 84.7％,respectively,and the area under curve was 0.887.Conclusion MPV/PLT and BUN/Lp(a)are closely related to the prognosis of patients with acute exacerbation of COPD.The combination of MPV/PLT and BUN/Lp(a)has a high predictive value for the prognosis of patients.

Objective To investigate the levels of serum Vasostatin-1 and Autotaxin and their clinical sig-nificance in patients with pre-eclampsia(PE).Methods A total of 120 patients with PE(PE group)admitted to the hospital from January 2021 to January 2023 and 60 healthy pregnant women who underwent routine prenatal examinations during the same period(control group)were selected as the research subjects.Accord-ing to the severity of the disease,the patients in the PE group were divided into the severe PE group(65 ca-ses)and the mild PE group(55 cases).According to the pregnancy outcomes,they were divided into the poor group(57 cases)and the good group(63 cases).The levels of serum Vasostatin 1 and Autotaxin were detec-ted by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.Multivariate unconditional Logistic regression was used to analyze the influencing factors of adverse pregnancy outcomes of PE.The receiver operating characteristic curve was drawn to evaluate the predictive value of serum Vasostatin 1 and Autotaxin levels for adverse pregnancy out-comes of PE.Results Compared with the control group,the levels of serum Vasostatin 1 and Autotaxin in the PE group increased,and the differences were statistically significant(Z=-5.924,-6.188;both P＜0.001).Compared with the mild PE group,the levels of serum Vasostatin 1 and Autotaxin in the severe PE group in-creased,and the differences were statistically significant(Z=-4.667,-4.180;both P＜0.001).Compared with the good group,the levels of serum Vasostatin 1 and Autotaxin in the poor group increased with statisti-cal significance(Z=-5.500,-5.390;both P＜0.001).The results of Logistic regression analysis showed that severe PE(OR=3.383,95％CI:1.270-9.011),high 24 h urine protein(OR=1.888,95％CI:1.199-2.972),high Vasostatin-1(OR=1.022,95％CI:1.008-1.036)and Autotaxin(OR=4.370,95％CI:1.739-10.983)were independent risk factors for adverse pregnancy outcomes in patients with PE(P＜0.05).The area under the curve for the combined prediction of adverse pregnancy outcomes in PE patients by serum Va-sostatin 1 and Autotaxin levels was 0.864(95％CI:0.790-0.920),which was greater than predicted sepa-rately,which were 0.791(95％CI:0.708-0.860),0.786(95％CI:0.701-0.855),and the differences were statistically significant(Z=2.595,2.462;both P＜0.05).Conclusion Elevated serum Vasostatin-1 and Au-totaxin levels in PE patients are associated with the aggravation of the disease and adverse pregnancy out-comes.The combined detection of serum Vasostatin 1 and Autotaxin levels has a high predictive efficacy for the pregnancy outcomes of patients with PE.

Objective To investigate traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)syndrome characteristics associated with immunotherapy efficacy in cervical cancer using propensity score matching(PSM),aiming to identify the population benefiting from immunotherapy.Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted in 253 cervical cancer patients,who received the treatment with programmed death receptor 1(PD-1)inhibitors at Guang'anmen Hospital,China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences from January 2020 to October 2024.Clinical data and TCM four-examination data were collected.After balancing the confounders via PSM(1∶1 matching)and with therapeutic efficacy as the dependent variable,multivariate logistic regression was performed to analyze the characteristics of TCM syndrome in the immunotherapy-response group and then a predictive model was constructed.Results(1)After matching with PSM,198 cases were included,99 cases in response group and 99 cases in non-response group.(2)Analysis of the distribution of TCM syndrome elements showed that the differences in the pathogenic syndrome elements of qi deficiency,qi stagnation,blood stasis,heat and phlegm between the two groups were statistically significant(P＜0.05 or P＜0.01),while there were no statistically significant differences in the disease-location syndrome elements of uterus,kidneys,lungs,spleen,liver,and heart,as well as in the pathogenic syndrome elements of blood deficiency,yin deficiency,yang deficiency,cold,and dampness(P＞0.05).The main pathogenic syndrome elements in the response group were qi deficiency,blood deficiency and heat,while those in the non-response group were qi stagnation,heat and phlegm.(3)The results of univariate regression analysis showed that targeted therapy(P=0.040),programmed cell death-ligand 1(PD-L1)expression level(P＜0.001),qi deficiency(P=0.009),blood deficiency(P＜0.001),yang deficiency(P＜0.001),yin deficiency(P＜0.001),qi stagnation(P=0.003),blood stasis(P＜0.001),cold(P＜0.001),cold(P＜0.001),heat(P＜0.001),phlegm(P＜0.001),and dampness(P＜0.001)were the factors associated with the efficacy of PD-1 inhibitors.(4)The results of multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that previous targeted therapy(OR=0.36,95%CI:0.16-0.83)and pathogenic syndrome elements of qi stagnation(OR=0.23,95%CI:0.10-0.49),phlegm(OR=0.28,95%CI:0.13-0.61)were the risk factors of associated with the efficacy of PD-1 inhibitors,while PD-L1 expression level(OR=15.27,95%CI:2.60-89.63),and pathogenic syndrome element qi deficiency(OR=2.90,95%CI:1.42-5.89)were the protective factors associated with the efficacy of PD-1 inhibitors in cervical cancer.(5)Receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve analysis demonstrated that the area under the ROC curve(AUC)of the predictive model for evaluating PD-1 inhibitor efficacy in cervical cancer was 0.78(95%CI:0.71-0.84),indicating certain predictive value.Conclusion PD-L1 expression level and TCM pathogenic syndrome elements such as qi deficiency,qi stagnation,and phlegm are the independent factors influencing PD-1 inhibitor efficacy in cervical cancer,providing insights for optimizing integrated TCM-western medicine treatment strategies.

Objective:To clarify the changes of intrahepatic ultrasound hemodynamics before and after hepatic artery thrombosis (HAT) after liver transplantation (LT), providing early warning and anticoagulation guidance to clinicians.Methods:The clinical data of patients who underwent liver transplantation at Zhongshan Hospital of Fudan University between June 2006 and October 2022 were retrospectively analyzed, 47 patients with a diagnosis of HAT confirmed by DSA (digital subtraction angiography) were included in the HAT group, and 71 patients without vascular complications were included in the non-HAT group. Differences in peak flow velocity (PSV), resistance index (RI), and portal vein velocity (PVV) were compared between the two groups. Logistic regression analysis was used to determine the relationship between postoperative PSV decline and HAT occurrence, while ROC curve were used to determine the critical value and evaluate the diagnostic efficacy. Patients with HAT were divided into well-treatment group and poor-treatment group according to whether the blood flow was restored after multiple surgeries or thrombolytic treatments. The changes of early intrahepatic hemodynamics after surgical or thrombolytic therapy were compared between the two groups.Results:①A decrease in PSV of the transplanted hepatic artery was measured 1 d before HAT, and PSV<0.39 m/s predicted thrombus formation with a sensitivity of 0.70, specificity of 0.86, and the AUC was 0.83. ②After treatment, PSV in the HAT group increased immediately, approaching the normal level on the 2nd day. In the well-treatment group, PSV and PVV reached normal levels on the first day after treatment, which were significantly higher than the corresponding values in the poor-treatment group ( P=0.030, 0.021). Conclusions:In the early stage after liver transplantation, a PSV<0.39 m/s is related to the occurrence of HAT thrombosis 1 d later. A significant increase in PSV on the first day after treatment indicates a good treatment response, and there is no need for further DSA re-examination or increasing the number of thrombolysis.

Malignant tumors have surpassed stroke and coronary heart disease to become the main cause of death before the age of 70 in the world. The incidence of malignant tumors is increasing year by year， which seriously affects the living standards and social and economic development of Chinese people. Surgery， radiotherapy， chemotherapy， targeted therapy， and immunotherapy are the main means of Western medicine to intervene in tumors， which are of great significance for prolonging the survival time of patients. However， there are many disadvantages such as adverse reactions and drug resistance. Traditional Chinese medicine has become a research hotspot in recent years because of its definite curative effect and wide application in tumor treatment. Xiao Chaihutang is derived from the Treatise on Febrile and Miscellaneous Diseases. It is composed of Bupleuri Radix， Scutellariae Radix， Ginseng Radix， Pinelliae Rhizoma， Glycyrrhizae Preparata Radix， Ginger， and Jujube. It has the effects of reconciling Shaoyang， reconciling cold and heat Yin and Yang， soothing the liver， and relieving depression. This prescription and the prescriptions based on it are widely used in various stages of tumors. This study summarized the Chinese and foreign research of Xiao Chaihutang in the field of tumors in the past 10 years and explored the role and mechanism of Xiao Chaihutang in blocking precancerous lesions， controlling the development of malignant tumors， reducing the occurrence of adverse reactions after intervention， and alleviating common complications， with a view to expanding the clinical medication ideas.

Objective:To investigate the clinical phenotype and genetic characteristics of cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD) caused by heterozygous mutations in high-temperature requirement A serine peptidase 1 ( HTRA1) gene. Methods:Nine patients with HTRA1 gene related autosomal dominant CSVD diagnosed in the Departments of Geriatrics and Neurology,Xiangya Hospital of Central South University between January 2020 and December 2023 were selected. Their clinical data were collected, and the probands received genetic test using whole exome sequencing. The mutations were then verified in the family using Sanger sequencing, and their clinical and genetic characteristics were summarized. Results:Among the 9 patients with HTRA1 gene related autosomal dominant CSVD, the onset age was (51.1±9.5) years. Cognitive impairment, stroke onset, and gait disturbance were the most common clinical manifestations. Magnetic resonance imaging examination usually revealed diffuse white matter lesions, multiple lacunar cerebral infarction, multiple cerebral microbleeds, and brain atrophy, which were consistent with the radiological characteristics of CSVD. Most patients showed a decrease in Aβ42 levels and Aβ42/Aβ40 ratio in cerebrospinal fluid, and 2/4 of patients had an increase in phosphory protein tau levels. Seven heterozygous mutations in the HTRA1 gene were found in 9 patients, including two new heterozygous missense mutations, c.1160T>C(p.M387T) and c.569G>T(p. A190L). Conclusions:The clinical manifestations of HTRA1 gene-related autosomal dominant CSVD patients are mainly cognitive impairment, stroke and gait disturbance, and the imaging features are consistent with CVSD changes. HTRA1 gene c.1160T>C(p.M387T) and c.569G>T(p.A190L) heterozygous missense mutations are newly reported mutations, expanding the genetic mutation spectrum of this disease.