ObjectiveTo investigate the triglyceride-glucose (TyG) index and the level of serum homocysteine (Hcy) in association with the incidence of stroke in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients. MethodsBased on the chronic disease risk factor surveillance cohort in Pudong New Area, Shanghai, excluding those with stroke in baseline survey, T2DM patients who joined the cohort from January 2016 to October 2020 were selected as the research subjects. During the follow-up period, a total of 318 new-onset ischemic stroke patients were selected as the case group, and a total of 318 individuals matched by gender without stroke were selected as the control group. The Cox proportional hazards regression model was used to adjust for confounding factors and explore the serum TyG index and the Hcy biochemical indicator in association with the risk of stroke. ResultsThe Cox proportional hazards regression results showed that after adjusting for confounding factors, the risk of stroke in T2DM patients with 10 μmol·L⁻¹-¹ and Hcy>15 μmol·L⁻¹ was 1.532 times (95%CI: 1.017‒2.309 times, P=0.041) and 1.738 times (95%CI: 1.119‒2.699 times, P=0.014) higher respectively, compared to T2DM patients with Hcy≤10 μmol·L⁻¹. T2DM patients with TyG>9.074 had 1.396 times higher risk of stroke (95%CI: 1.091‒1.787, P=0.008) compared to those with TyG≤9.074. The study found that urea and α1-antitrypsin (α1-AT) were independent risk factors for the incidence of stroke in T2DM patients. For every unit increase in urea andα1-AT, the risk of stroke in T2DM patients increased by 233.6% (HR=3.336, 95%CI: 1.588‒7.009, P=0.001) and 11.3% (HR=1.113, 95%CI: 1.028‒1.205, P=0.008), respectively. Cumulative risk curves showed that Hcy>10 μmol·L⁻¹ and TyG>9.074 accelerated the time to stroke occurrence in T2DM patients. ConclusionElevated levels of Hcy>10 μmol·L⁻¹ and a higher TyG index are risk factors for stroke in T2DM patients. Effective interventions for Hcy and TyG should be conducted for diabetic patients to reduce the incidence of stroke.

Objective:To investigate the clinical characteristics and treatment outcomes of patients with blast-induced hearing loss（BIHL）. Methods:The clinical features, laboratory parameters, audiometric profiles, and treatment efficacy of patients with blast induced hearing loss and those with idiopathic sudden hearing loss（ISHL） were analyzed using t-tests, Wilcoxon rank-sum tests, and chi-square tests, with a significance level set at P<0.05. Results:A total of 59 patients in the BIHL group and 117 patients in the ISHL group were included in this study. The mean age of the BIHL group was（39.07±14.49） years, comprising 45 males and 14 females. After the blast, 21 patients went to the hospital within the initial 14-day period, and an additional 38 patients seeking admission thereafter. In the BIHL group, 33 patients had unilateral hearing loss with PTA of （50.30±28.85） dB HL, while 26 had bilateral hearing loss with a PTA of（44.54±26.22） dB HL. In comparison, among the ISHL group, 112 patients had unilateral hearing loss with a PTA of（56.28±14.19） dB HL, and 5 had bilateral involvement with a PTA of（56.25±35.14） dB HL. The effective treatment rate within 14 days for the BIHL group was 31.8%, while for the ISHL group, the effective rate within 14 days was 77.0%. Conclusion:Blast-induced hearing loss is caused by exposure to high-intensity noise. The overall treatment effectiveness during hospitalization is lower compared to idiopathic sudden hearing loss, and the treatment window is shorter. Therefore, greater emphasis should be placed on prevention.
Humans ; Male ; Female ; Adult ; Middle Aged ; Young Adult ; Blast Injuries/therapy* ; Treatment Outcome ; Hearing Loss, Sudden/etiology* ; Adolescent ; Hearing Loss, Noise-Induced/diagnosis*

Background::Bladder cancer, characterized by a high potential of tumor recurrence, has high lifelong monitoring and treatment costs. To date, tumor cells with intrinsic softness have been identified to function as cancer stem cells in several cancer types. Nonetheless, the existence of soft tumor cells in bladder tumors remains elusive. Thus, our study aimed to develop a microbarrier microfluidic chip to efficiently isolate deformable tumor cells from distinct types of bladder cancer cells.Methods::The stiffness of bladder cancer cells was determined by atomic force microscopy (AFM). The modified microfluidic chip was utilized to separate soft cells, and the 3D Matrigel culture system was to maintain the softness of tumor cells. Expression patterns of integrin β8 (ITGB8), protein kinase B (AKT), and mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) were determined by Western blotting. Double immunostaining was conducted to examine the interaction between F-actin and tripartite motif containing 59 (TRIM59). The stem-cell-like characteristics of soft cells were explored by colony formation assay and in vivo studies upon xenografted tumor models. Results::Using our newly designed microfluidic approach, we identified a small fraction of soft tumor cells in bladder cancer cells. More importantly, the existence of soft tumor cells was confirmed in clinical human bladder cancer specimens, in which the number of soft tumor cells was associated with tumor relapse. Furthermore, we demonstrated that the biomechanical stimuli arising from 3D Matrigel activated the F-actin/ITGB8/TRIM59/AKT/mTOR/glycolysis pathways to enhance the softness and tumorigenic capacity of tumor cells. Simultaneously, we detected a remarkable up-regulation in ITGB8, TRIM59, and phospho-AKT in clinical bladder recurrent tumors compared with their non-recurrent counterparts.Conclusions::The ITGB8/TRIM59/AKT/mTOR/glycolysis axis plays a crucial role in modulating tumor softness and stemness. Meanwhile, the soft tumor cells become more sensitive to chemotherapy after stiffening, that offers new insights for hampering tumor progression and recurrence.

BACKGROUND:Intervertebral disc degeneration is clinically considered to be the main cause of low back pain,but due to the unclear pathogenesis of intervertebral disc degeneration,there is still a lack of effective means to delay the progression of the disease.Single-cell RNA sequencing technology can amplify and sequence mRNA at the single-cell level,reveal the gene expression intensity of a single cell,discover different cell subsets in tissues according to the heterogeneity of cells,study the pathogenesis of intervertebral disc degeneration at the molecular level,and provide a new theoretical basis for its early diagnosis and treatment. OBJECTIVE:To introduce the basic principles of single-cell RNA sequencing technology and review the research progress of single-cell RNA sequencing technology in intervertebral disc degeneration in recent years. METHODS:A computer was used to search PubMed,Web of Science,CNKI and WanFang databases for the literature published from 2012 to 2022.Key words were"single-cell RNA sequencing,intervertebral disc degeneration,sequencing Technology"in Chinese and English.Duplicate,poor-quality and irrelevant articles were excluded;a total of 70 articles were eventually included. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)We identified new cell subsets such as homeostatic chondrocytes,hypertrophy chondrocyte-like nucleus pulposus cells and fibrous nucleus pulposus cells,identified the marker genes and transcription factors of these cell subsets,and described the functions,differentiation paths and cell fate of these cell subsets during the development and progression of intervertebral disc degeneration,and proposed the concept of progenitor nucleus pulposus cells.A cell subpopulation with progenitor nucleus pulposus cells properties was identified and its effectiveness in treating intervertebral disc degeneration was verified in mice.(2)Fibro chondrocyte-like annulus fibrosus cells and annulus fibrosus stem cells with both cartilage and fiber properties were identified,and a new type of composite hydrogel was prepared by combining fibrous cartilage inducers silk fibroin and hyaluronic acid in vitro.Experiments in mice demonstrated that this hydrogel could repair both annulus fibrosus tissue and cartilage matrix,and was remarkably effective in the treatment of intervertebral disc degeneration.(3)Regulatory chondrocytes were found in endplate cartilage.Two distinct fates in the progression of intervertebral disc degeneration were analyzed and the differential genes in the two fates were identified.Intercellular communication analysis indicated that regulatory chondrocytes interact with endothelial cells to promote angiogenesis.(4)Immune cells such as macrophages,T cells,myeloid progenitor cells and neutrophils were identified in the degenerated intervertebral disc tissues,demonstrating the existence of immune response during intervertebral disc degeneration.It was found that apolipoprotein induced the polarization of macrophages M1 and M2 subtypes,and this polarization process affected the activity of progenitor nucleus pulposus cells by amplifying the inflammatory response through the MIF signaling pathway.

Objective:To analyze the genetic counseling characteristics and interpretation of pathogenic variants for mitochondrial hearing loss.Methods:We analyzed a total of 513 unrelated families from Chinese Deafness Genome Project (CDGP), in which previous gene testing had found no pathogenic mutations with hearing loss (HL) related to the nuclear genes. We used targeted testing and complete mtDNA sequencing for the families′ available members.Results:Among the first individuals of the families to be tested, 20 cases (16 probands and 4 normal hearing consultants) were discovered with variants in mtDNA, including m.1095T>C, m.1310C>T, m.1494C>T and m.1555A>G in MT-RNR1, m.7445A>G, m.7505T>C, m.7510T>C and m.7511T>C in MT-TS1, and m.3243A>G in MT-TL1. We identified MT-RNR1 and MT-TS1 variants occurred as homoplasmic changes, while MT-TL1 variants occurred as heteroplasmic changes. Most mitochondrial hearing loss were characterized by slope or flat moderate to profound sensorineural HL. HL associated with the mtDNA pathogenic variant was variable onset age, severity and audiometric configuration. The penetrance for HL in individuals with the m.1095T>C variant might be low. Progression in the severity of HL was caused by the m.7445A>G pathogenic variant and the patients with m.7505T>C had cookie bite HL. MT-TL1 m.3243A>G was a common spot for pathogenic variants associated with nonsyndromic HL as well as syndromic HL with diabetes mellitus. Conclusions:Individuals with the mtDNA variants and their maternal relatives have a higher risk of HL and phenotypic heterogeneity in the age of onset, progression, and level of HL. The medical history should include review of any audiological testing of the probands and their family members on a maternal mtDNA background. The process of genetic evaluation needs rule out nuclear gene mutations and analyzes the genetic load of mitochondrial pathogenic variants in the probands or consultants. In these cases, we rely on clinical and genetic evaluation molecular analysis to appropriately counsel families for whom an exact cause of HL and to help them make informed medical decisions.

Objective:To investigate the feasibility and availability of one-stage treatment for congenital lacrimal fistula combined with blepharoplasty and epicanthoplasty.Methods:From November 2014 to March 2021, 6 female patients with congenital lacrimal fistula and epicanthus were treated in the 2nd Department of Maxillofacial Plastic Surgery Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences/Peking Union Medical College, aged 12-32 years (mean 24 years), including 5 unilateral lacrimal fistula and 1 bilateral.Results:During 3 to 40 months (mean 18 months) of follow-up, the ocular appearances were improved notably and the fistulas were removed completely. There was no secondary infection or cyst occurred, and no ectropion, traction or other deformities. The position of canthus was normal and the shape of canthus was good. The scars in the operation area were inconspicuous.Conclusions:Fistulectomy combined with blepharoplasty and epicanthoplasty can excise congenital lacrimal fistula effectively while improving the ocular appearance by this procedure.

Objective:To investigate the feasibility of ultrasound-guided percutaneous endomyocardial septal cryoablation of in vitro porcine hearts and to compare its effect with the percutaneous endomyocardial radiofrequency ablation.Methods:Experiment 1: Six in vitro porcine hearts were divided into 1 min ( n=2), 3 min ( n=2) and 5 min ( n=2) groups according to the cryoablation time, and all were subjected to ultrasound-guided percutaneous intra-myocardial septal cryoablation at 100% power respectively. After cryoablation, ultrasound images, the size of the solid dissection of the ice ball, and the size of the necrotic area after melting of the frozen ice ball were measured. Experiment 2: The in vitro porcine hearts were divided into cryoablation group ( n=3) and radiofrequency ablation group ( n=3), and ultrasound-guided percutaneous endomyocardial septal cryoablation and radiofrequency ablation were performed with 100% cryo power and 40 W radiofrequency power, and the extent of complete necrotic area and incomplete necrotic area were compared between the two ablation methods after 1 min. Results:Experiment 1: In the 1 min cryoablation time group ( n=2), the short diameter of the puck measured by ultrasound was (8.00±0.84)mm, the short diameter of the puck measured by solid was (8.38±1.19)mm, and the short diameter of the necrotic zone measured by solid was (8.35±0.83)mm; in the 3 min group ( n=2), the short diameter of the puck measured by ultrasound was (19.4±0.28)mm, and the short diameter of the puck measured by solid was (19.03±0.33)mm, solid measurement of the short diameter of the necrotic zone was (19.16±0.25)mm; in the 5 min group ( n=2), the short diameter of the puck measured under ultrasound was (26.4±2.54)mm, solid measurement of the short diameter of the puck was (26.01±0.24)mm, and solid measurement of the short diameter of the necrotic zone was (24.82±0.25)mm. Randomized blocks analysis of variance was performed on this data and the difference of block Factor b (freezing time: 1 min, 3 min, 5 min) among the three groups was statistically significant( F=505.884, P<0.001). The SNK- q test showed that all three groups differed from each other(all P<0.05). The analysis results for the treatment factors K (measurement modality-ultrasound image measurements, solid anatomical measurements of the puck, and measurements of the necrotic area after melting of the frozen puck) was not statistically significant ( F=0.470, P=0.635). Experiment 2: In the RF ablation group ( n=3), the ratio of incomplete necrotic zone to the radius of the RF ablation area was 0.64±0.01; in the cryoablation group ( n=3), the ratio of incomplete necrotic zone to the radius of the ablation area was 0.26±0.02. The difference was statistically significant( P=0.002) and it can be considered that the incomplete necrotic zone of cryoablation was smaller than that of RF ablation. Conclusions:Percutameous intramyocardial septal cryoablation is controllable in scope, ultrasound image evaluation of ablation area is more accurate and incomplete necrosis area is small, which may have potential applications in cardiac ablation.

Objective:To quantitatively evaluate myocardial microcirculation perfusion changes after percutaneous intracardiac septal radiofrequency ablation (PIMSRA, Liwen procedure) in patients with obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HOCM) using myocardial contrast echocardiography (MCE) and to further establish the effect of the procedure and predict the long-term prognosis of patients.Methods:A total of 45 patients with HOCM treated by the Liwen procedure in the First Affiliated Hospital of Air Force Medical University (Xijing Hospital) from July 2019 to June 2020 were included. MCE was performed before and 6 months after surgery, respectively. Time-intensity perfusion curve analysis was performed using QLab 10.8 offline software to obtain quantitative parameters of myocardial microcirculation perfusion including myocardial blood volume (A value), myocardial blood flow velocity (β value), and myocardial blood flow (A×β value), then the changes in parameters before and after the procedure were compared.Results:After the Liwen procedure, the mean septal thickness and mean left ventricular free wall thickness were significantly reduced, accompanied by a significant reduction in the left ventricular outflow tract pressure gradient (LVOT-PG) and mitral regurgitation length, and a significant improvement in mitral systolic antegrade motion (SAM) (all P<0.001). In addition, the left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) did not deteriorate significantly ( P=0.560) and the E/e′ ratio decreased after the procedure ( P=0.015). Besides, the A values of both the ventricular septum and the left ventricular free wall were not significantly changed compared to those before procedure ( P>0.05), whereas the β values and A×β values were obviously increased ( P<0.05). Conclusions:Myocardial blood velocity and myocardial blood flow in the septum and left ventricular free wall were significantly increased in patients with HOCM after the Liwen procedure, suggesting a significant improvement in myocardial microcirculation perfusion. MCE provides a non-invasive quantitative evaluation parameters of myocardial microcirculation perfusion for the Liwen procedure for the treatment of HOCM.

Objective:To investigate the effect and reasonable strategy of shuffling fat in the treatment of eyelid stick-bone scar cicatricial depression and atrophy.Methods:A retrospective analysis consisted of patients admitted in Plastic Surgery Hospital, CAMS from March 2017 to May 2019, and the inclusion criteria was depressive and atrophic deformities caused by eyelid stick-bone scar. By performing subcutaneous liposuction on the abdomen, the harvested fat was further mechanically refined into shuffling fat. Single serialized shuffling fat injection with a 3-month interval was performed in the orbital region. Approximately 3 months after fat transplantation, symptomatic treatment was performed due to complications of upper eyelid ptosis or ectopic, and fat injection combined with the orbicularis oculi muscle flap was carried out to repair the lower eyelid atrophic deformity. Follow up regularly after the operation to observe the occurrence of complications. Six months after the end of treatment, the patient and observer scar assessment scale (POSAS) was used to assess scars, and the doctor-patient comprehensive score was used to assess patient satisfaction.Results:A total of 6 patients with stick-bone scar in the eyelid area were enrolled including 4 males and 2 females, aged 24-53 years old, with an average of 37 years old. The causes of defects included 4 cases of trauma, 2 cases after maxillary osteomyelitis treatment. Duration of disease ranged 1.5-50.0 years, average 14.2 years. Scars were located in the regions of upper eyelid in 4 cases and lower eyelid in 2 cases. Area of depressed region ranged 0.5 cm×2.0 cm-1.5 cm×3.0 cm. After mechanical refinement, the fat texture was more delicate and even. Injection of shuffling fat with the single volume of 0.6 to 1.3 ml was performed 3 to 4 times (average 3.25 times) on the upper eyelid and average 2 times on the lower eyelid, respectively. During the post-operative 6 months, the appearance of all patients was significantly improved, the volume of soft tissues of the eyelid was significantly increased, the pliability and elasticity of the scar tissue was ameliorated, and no complications occurred. The scores of patient scar assessment scale (PSAS) and observer scar assessment scale (OSAS) were (7.0±1.0) and (6.7±1.1), respectively, and the doctor-patient comprehensive score was 4-5 (average 4.5).Conclusions:For upper eyelid, shuffling fat injection has a good therapeutic effect on depressive and atrophic deformity caused by the stick-bone scar by increasing the tissue volume; for lower eyelid, it is necessary to combine the orbicularis oculi myocutaneous flap on the basis of shuffling fat transplantation to further increase the support structure for better appearance.

Objective:To investigate the effect and reasonable strategy of shuffling fat in the treatment of eyelid stick-bone scar cicatricial depression and atrophy.Methods:A retrospective analysis consisted of patients admitted in Plastic Surgery Hospital, CAMS from March 2017 to May 2019, and the inclusion criteria was depressive and atrophic deformities caused by eyelid stick-bone scar. By performing subcutaneous liposuction on the abdomen, the harvested fat was further mechanically refined into shuffling fat. Single serialized shuffling fat injection with a 3-month interval was performed in the orbital region. Approximately 3 months after fat transplantation, symptomatic treatment was performed due to complications of upper eyelid ptosis or ectopic, and fat injection combined with the orbicularis oculi muscle flap was carried out to repair the lower eyelid atrophic deformity. Follow up regularly after the operation to observe the occurrence of complications. Six months after the end of treatment, the patient and observer scar assessment scale (POSAS) was used to assess scars, and the doctor-patient comprehensive score was used to assess patient satisfaction.Results:A total of 6 patients with stick-bone scar in the eyelid area were enrolled including 4 males and 2 females, aged 24-53 years old, with an average of 37 years old. The causes of defects included 4 cases of trauma, 2 cases after maxillary osteomyelitis treatment. Duration of disease ranged 1.5-50.0 years, average 14.2 years. Scars were located in the regions of upper eyelid in 4 cases and lower eyelid in 2 cases. Area of depressed region ranged 0.5 cm×2.0 cm-1.5 cm×3.0 cm. After mechanical refinement, the fat texture was more delicate and even. Injection of shuffling fat with the single volume of 0.6 to 1.3 ml was performed 3 to 4 times (average 3.25 times) on the upper eyelid and average 2 times on the lower eyelid, respectively. During the post-operative 6 months, the appearance of all patients was significantly improved, the volume of soft tissues of the eyelid was significantly increased, the pliability and elasticity of the scar tissue was ameliorated, and no complications occurred. The scores of patient scar assessment scale (PSAS) and observer scar assessment scale (OSAS) were (7.0±1.0) and (6.7±1.1), respectively, and the doctor-patient comprehensive score was 4-5 (average 4.5).Conclusions:For upper eyelid, shuffling fat injection has a good therapeutic effect on depressive and atrophic deformity caused by the stick-bone scar by increasing the tissue volume; for lower eyelid, it is necessary to combine the orbicularis oculi myocutaneous flap on the basis of shuffling fat transplantation to further increase the support structure for better appearance.