Objective:To investigate the effect of immune checkpoint inhibitors on reducing residual lymph node metastasis in patients with gastric cancer.Methods:The cohort of this retrospective study comprised patients from Nanfang Hospital of Southern Medical University and the First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University who had undergone systemic treatment prior to gastrectomy with D2 lymphadenectomy and had achieved Grade 1 primary tumor regression (TRG1) from January 2014 to December 2023. After exclusion of patients who had undergone preoperative radiotherapy, data of 58 patients (Nanfang Hospital: 46; First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University: 12) were analyzed. These patients were allocated to preoperative chemotherapy (Chemotherapy group, N=36 cases) and preoperative immunotherapy plus chemotherapy groups (Immunotherapy group, N=22 cases). There were no significant differences between these groups in sex, age, body mass index, diabetes, tumor location, pathological type, Lauren classification, tumor differentiation, pretreatment depth of invasion by primary tumor, pretreatment lymph node stage, pretreatment clinical stage, mismatch repair protein status, number of preoperative treatment cycles, or duration of preoperative treatment (all P>0.05). The primary outcome measure was postoperative lymph node downstaging. Secondary outcomes included postoperative depth of invasion by tumor, number of lymph nodes examined, and factors affecting residual lymph node metastasis status. Results:Lymph node downstaging was achieved significantly more often in the Immunotherapy group than the Chemotherapy group (pN0: 90.9% [20/22] vs. 61.1% [22/36]; pN1: 4.5% [1/22] vs. 36.1% [13/36]; pN2: 4.5% [1/22) vs. 0; pN3: 0 vs. 2.8% [1/36], Z=-2.315, P=0.021). There were no significant difference between the two groups in number of lymph nodes examined (40.5±16.3 vs. 40.8±17.5, t=0.076, P=0.940) or postoperative depth of invasion by primary tumor (pT1a: 50.0% [11/22] vs. 30.6% [11/36]; pT1b: 13.6% [3/22] vs. 19.4% [7/36]; pT2: 13.6% [3/22] vs. 13.9% [5/36]; pT3: 13.6% [3/22] vs. 25.0% [9/36]; pT4a: 9.1% [2/22] vs. 11.1% [4/36], Z=-1.331, P=0.183). Univariate analysis revealed that both preoperative treatment regimens were associated with residual lymph node metastasis status in patients whose primary tumor regression was TRG1 (χ 2=6.070, P=0.014). Multivariate analysis incorporated the following factors: pretreatment depth of invasion by primary tumor, pretreatment lymph node stage, pretreatment clinical stage, number of preoperative treatment cycles, and preoperative treatment duration. We found that a combination of immunotherapy and chemotherapy administered preoperatively was an independent protective factor for reducing residual lymph node metastases in study patients whose primary tumor regression was TRG1 (OR=0.147, 95%CI: 0.026–0.828, P=0.030). Conclusion:Compared with preoperative chemotherapy alone, a combination of preoperative immunotherapy and chemotherapy achieved greater reduction of residual lymph node metastases in the study patients who achieved TRG1 tumor regression in their primary lesions.

Objective:To investigate the effect of immune checkpoint inhibitors on reducing residual lymph node metastasis in patients with gastric cancer.Methods:The cohort of this retrospective study comprised patients from Nanfang Hospital of Southern Medical University and the First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University who had undergone systemic treatment prior to gastrectomy with D2 lymphadenectomy and had achieved Grade 1 primary tumor regression (TRG1) from January 2014 to December 2023. After exclusion of patients who had undergone preoperative radiotherapy, data of 58 patients (Nanfang Hospital: 46; First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University: 12) were analyzed. These patients were allocated to preoperative chemotherapy (Chemotherapy group, N=36 cases) and preoperative immunotherapy plus chemotherapy groups (Immunotherapy group, N=22 cases). There were no significant differences between these groups in sex, age, body mass index, diabetes, tumor location, pathological type, Lauren classification, tumor differentiation, pretreatment depth of invasion by primary tumor, pretreatment lymph node stage, pretreatment clinical stage, mismatch repair protein status, number of preoperative treatment cycles, or duration of preoperative treatment (all P>0.05). The primary outcome measure was postoperative lymph node downstaging. Secondary outcomes included postoperative depth of invasion by tumor, number of lymph nodes examined, and factors affecting residual lymph node metastasis status. Results:Lymph node downstaging was achieved significantly more often in the Immunotherapy group than the Chemotherapy group (pN0: 90.9% [20/22] vs. 61.1% [22/36]; pN1: 4.5% [1/22] vs. 36.1% [13/36]; pN2: 4.5% [1/22) vs. 0; pN3: 0 vs. 2.8% [1/36], Z=-2.315, P=0.021). There were no significant difference between the two groups in number of lymph nodes examined (40.5±16.3 vs. 40.8±17.5, t=0.076, P=0.940) or postoperative depth of invasion by primary tumor (pT1a: 50.0% [11/22] vs. 30.6% [11/36]; pT1b: 13.6% [3/22] vs. 19.4% [7/36]; pT2: 13.6% [3/22] vs. 13.9% [5/36]; pT3: 13.6% [3/22] vs. 25.0% [9/36]; pT4a: 9.1% [2/22] vs. 11.1% [4/36], Z=-1.331, P=0.183). Univariate analysis revealed that both preoperative treatment regimens were associated with residual lymph node metastasis status in patients whose primary tumor regression was TRG1 (χ 2=6.070, P=0.014). Multivariate analysis incorporated the following factors: pretreatment depth of invasion by primary tumor, pretreatment lymph node stage, pretreatment clinical stage, number of preoperative treatment cycles, and preoperative treatment duration. We found that a combination of immunotherapy and chemotherapy administered preoperatively was an independent protective factor for reducing residual lymph node metastases in study patients whose primary tumor regression was TRG1 (OR=0.147, 95%CI: 0.026–0.828, P=0.030). Conclusion:Compared with preoperative chemotherapy alone, a combination of preoperative immunotherapy and chemotherapy achieved greater reduction of residual lymph node metastases in the study patients who achieved TRG1 tumor regression in their primary lesions.

Background::The conversion of adenosine (A) to inosine (I) through deamination is the prevailing form of RNA editing, impacting numerous nuclear and cytoplasmic transcripts across various eukaryotic species. Millions of high-confidence RNA editing sites have been identified and integrated into various RNA databases, providing a convenient platform for the rapid identification of key drivers of cancer and potential therapeutic targets. However, the available database for integration of RNA editing in hematopoietic cells and hematopoietic malignancies is still lacking.Methods::We downloaded RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) data of 29 leukemia patients and 19 healthy donors from National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database, and RNA-seq data of 12 mouse hematopoietic cell populations obtained from our previous research were also used. We performed sequence alignment, identified RNA editing sites, and obtained characteristic editing sites related to normal hematopoietic development and abnormal editing sites associated with hematologic diseases.Results::We established a new database, "REDH", represents RNA editome in hematopoietic differentiation and malignancy. REDH is a curated database of associations between RNA editome and hematopoiesis. REDH integrates 30,796 editing sites from 12 murine adult hematopoietic cell populations and systematically characterizes more than 400,000 edited events in malignant hematopoietic samples from 48 cohorts (human). Through the Differentiation, Disease, Enrichment, and knowledge modules, each A-to-I editing site is systematically integrated, including its distribution throughout the genome, its clinical information (human sample), and functional editing sites under physiological and pathological conditions. Furthermore, REDH compares the similarities and differences of editing sites between different hematologic malignancies and healthy control.Conclusions::REDH is accessible at http://www.redhdatabase.com/. This user-friendly database would aid in understanding the mechanisms of RNA editing in hematopoietic differentiation and malignancies. It provides a set of data related to the maintenance of hematopoietic homeostasis and identifying potential therapeutic targets in malignancies.

Objective To construct an intervention programme for breastfeeding among mothers of infants with congenital heart disease and to verify its effect.Methods Taking the capability-opportunity-motivation-behaviour model as the theoretical basis,the first draft of the intervention programme was formed through literature search and semi-structured interviews,and 8 experts in the relevant fields were selected to conduct expert validation and determine the content of the program.By the consecutive sampling method,infants and their mothers who attended the cardiothoracic disease clinic of a tertiary-level children's specialist hospital in Shanghai from 4 May to 24 June 2023,with a day-old age of≤14 d and a confirmed diagnosis of CHD,were selected as the study subjects.They were divided into an experimental group and a control group,with 16 cases in each group,by the method of randomized grouping by district.The experimental group received breastfeeding intervention for mothers of infants with CHD on the basis of routine care;the control group received routine care and basic disease education and breastfeeding counselling.At 1 and 3 months of the infants with CHD,the 2 groups were compared in terms of exclusive breastfeeding rate,daily human milk as a percentage of total feeds,weight for age Z-score and height for age Z-score.Results A total of 1 round of expert validation was conducted,with a valid questionnaire recovery rate of 100％and an expert authority coefficient of 0.94.The breastfeeding intervention programme for mothers of infants with CHD is a comprehensive approach that encompasses 3 key dimensions,including capability,opportunity,and motivation.The programme is designed to enhance mothers'ability to recognize feeding signals,master breastfeeding techniques,and maintain successful breastfeeding practices.It also addresses common breastfeeding challenges and provides effective solutions.Additionally,it includes strategies for breastmilk management and fosters family support for breastfeeding.The programme offers medical information support on breastfeeding and aims to elevate mothers'understanding of its benefits.It involves systematic monitoring and recording of breastfeeding volumes,as well as thorough assessments and guidance on infant growth and development,including but not limited to the 10 specific entries related to the infant's progress.The results of the generalized estimating equations and repeated measures analysis of variance revealed statistically significant between-group differences(P＜0.05)in the rates of exclusive breastfeeding,the proportion of daily human milk as a percentage of total feeds,and the weight-for-age(WAZ)and height-for-age(HAZ)z-scores of infants across the 2 groups at various time points.The results of simple effect analysis showed that the differences in exclusive breastfeeding rate,the proportion of daily human milk as a percentage of total feeds,WAZ and HAZ between the 2 groups before intervention were not statistically significant(P＞0.05).At the age of 3 months of the infants after the intervention,the rate of exclusive breastfeeding in the experimental group was higher than that in the control group,and the difference was statistically significant(P=0.003).The proportion of daily human milk as a percentage of total feeds for infants in the intervention group at 1 and 3 months of age was higher than that in the control group,with a statistically significant difference(P＜0.05).At 3 months of age,WAZ of the experimental group was higher than that of the control group,and the difference was statistically significant(P=0.037);HAZ of the experimental group was higher than that of the control group at 1 and 3 months of age after intervention,and the difference was statistically significant(P＜0.05).Conclusion The breastfeeding intervention programme for mothers of infants with CHD,constructed on the basis of the COM-B model in this study,was comprehensive,feasible and acceptable.Implementation of the programme has potential positive effects on increasing exclusive breastfeeding rates and the daily human milk as a percentage of total feeds,and may also have a positive impact on WAZ and HAZ of infants.

Objective:To evaluate the accuracy of bedside lung ultrasound in predicting postoperative pulmonary complications (PPCs) in the patients undergoing radical resection of gastrointestinal cancer.Methods:One hundred and eight patients of both sexes, aged >18 yr, undergoing elective radical resection of gastrointestinal cancer with general anesthesia, were enrolled in the study. Lung ultrasound was performed before surgery (T 1) and at 2, 4 and 7 days after surgery (T 2-4). Lung ultrasound score (LUS) and B-line score were recorded. Serum procalcitonin (PCT) concentrations and blood routine were recorded, and systemic immune-inflammatory index (SII) was calculated. All the patients underwent chest CT examination before surgery and 7 days after surgery. The results of chest CT and clinical diagnosis were used as the gold standard for PPCs. The occurrence of PPCs within 7 days after surgery was recorded. The patients were divided into PPCs group and non-PPCs group according to the development of PPCs. Spearman′s correlation analysis was used to analyze the correlation of B-line score and LUS with PPCs, PCT and SII. The receiver operating curve was used to evaluate the accuracy of B-line score and LUB in predicting PPCs. Results:One hundred and three patients were finally enrolled in the study, including 45 patients in PPCs group and 58 patients in non-PPCs group, and the incidence of PPCs was 43.7%. Both B-line score and LUS were positively correlated with PPCs at T 1 ( P<0.001), and B-line score and LUS were positively correlated with PCT and SII at T 2-4 ( P<0.001). The AUC (95% confidence interval) of B-line score and LUB in predicting PPCs were 0.926 (0.879-0.972) and 0.909 (0.852-0.965), respectively ( P<0.001), the best cut-off values of B-line score and LUB in predicting PPCs were set at 25.5 and 11.5 respectively, and the sensitivity and specificity of B-line score were 0.80 and 0.88 respectively, and the sensitivity and specificity of LUB were 0.78 and 0.93 respectively. Conclusions:Bedside pulmonary ultrasonography (B-line score and LUS) can accurately predict the occurrence of PPCs in the patients undergoing radical resection of gastrointestinal cancer and dynamically evaluate the condition of PPCs, and B-line score >25.5 and LUS score >11.5 indicate a high risk of PPCs.

Objective:To evaluate the accuracy of airway ultrasonic parameters in predicting difficult mask ventilation (DMV) in obese patients.Methods:Ninety-six patients of both sexes, aged >18 yr, with body mass index of 28- <40 kg/m 2, of American Society of Anesthesiologists Physical Status classification Ⅰ or Ⅱ, scheduled for elective surgery under general anesthesia with endotracheal intubation, were selected. The airway was evaluated at 1 day before surgery to record the thyromental distance, modified Mallampati classification and upper lip bite test classification. Before anesthesia induction, the mandibular condylar motion, longitudinal cross-sectional area and transverse diameter of the tongue were measured by ultrasound, and the tongue volume was calculated. Mask ventilation was performed after anesthesia induction, DMV classification was recorded, DMV was defined as DMV classification Ⅲ and Ⅳ, and the patients were divided into non-DMV group (NDMV group) and DMV group. Spearman correlation analysis was used to analyze the correlation between each parameter and DMV, the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to evaluate the accuracy of each parameter in predicting DMV, and the cut-off value was determined based on the principle of Jorden index at maximum. Results:Ninety-six patients were finally included in the study, with 64 patients in NDMV group and 32 patients in DMV group. Compared with NDMV group, the increase in age, modified Mallampati grade, upper lip biting test grade, longitudinal cross-sectional area of tongue, transverse diameter of tongue and volume of tongue were significantly increased, and the thyromental distance and mandibular condylar motion were decreased in DMV group ( P<0.05). Age ( r=0.283), modified Mallampati grade ( r=0.668), upper lip biting test classification ( r=0.826), tongue longitudinal cross-sectional area ( r=0.598), tongue transverse diameter ( r=0.578) and tongue volume ( r=0.707) were positively correlated with DMV ( P<0.01), and thyromental distance ( r=-0.623) and mandibular condylar motion ( r=-0.666 ) were negatively correlated with DMV ( P<0.05). The area under curve (95% confidence interval) of tongue longitudinal cross-sectional area, tongue transverse diameter, tongue volume, and mandibular condylar motion for DMV prediction were 0.870 (0.780-0.961), 0.858 (0.768-0.948), 0.937 (0.864-1.000), 0.912 (0.835-0.990), respectively ( P<0.01), and the predicted cut-off values were 22.61 cm 2, 4.29 cm, 100.60 cm 3 and 1.18 cm, respectively, the sensitivity was 90%, 83%, 90% and 90%, respectively, the specificity was 80%, 80%, 95% and 95%, respectively. Conclusions:Tongue volume and mandibular condylar motion measured by ultrasound are highly accurate in predicting DMV in obese patients. Tongue volume> 100.60 cm 3 or mandibular condylar motion< 1.18 cm suggests a high risk of DMV.

Background::Previous studies have revealed that diabetes mellitus (DM) promotes disease progress of gastric cancer (GC). This study aimed to further investigating whether DM advanced lymph nodes (LNs) metastasis in GC.Methods::The clinicopathologic data of GC patients with >15 examined LN (ELN) between October 2004 and December 2019 from a prospectively maintained database were included. The observational outcomes included the number (N3b status) and anatomical distribution (N3 stations) of metastatic LN (MLN).Results::A total of 2142 eligible patients were included in the study between October 2004 and December 2019. N3 stations metastasis (26.8% in DM vs. 19.3% in non-DM, P = 0.026) and N3b status (18.8% in DM vs. 12.8% in non-DM, P = 0.039) were more advanced in the DM group, and multivariate logistic regression analyses confirmed that DM was an independent factor of developing N3 stations metastasis (odds ratio [OR] = 1.771, P= 0.011) and N3b status (OR= 1.752, P= 0.028). Also, multivariate analyses determined DM was independently associated with more MLN (β = 1.424, P = 0.047). The preponderance of N3 stations metastasis (DM vs. non-DM, T1-2: 2.2% vs. 4.9%, T3: 29.0% vs. 20.3%, T4a: 38.9% vs. 25.8%, T4b: 50.0% vs. 36.6%; ELN16-29: 8.6% vs. 10.4%, ELN30-44: 27.9% vs. 20.5%, ELN ≥ 45: 37.7% vs. 25.3%), N3b status (DM vs. non-DM, T1-2: 0% vs. 1.7%, T3: 16.1% vs. 5.1%, T4a: 27.8% vs. 19.1%, T4b: 44.0% vs. 28.0%; ELN16-29: 8.6% vs. 7.9%, ELN30-44: 18.0% vs. 11.8%, ELN ≥ 45: 26.4% vs. 17.3%), and the number of MLN (DM vs. non-DM, T1-2: 0.4 vs. 1.1, T3: 8.6 vs. 5.2, T4a: 9.7 vs. 8.6, T4b: 17.0 vs. 12.8; ELN16-29: 3.6 vs. 4.6, ELN30-44: 5.8 vs. 5.5, ELN ≥ 45: 12.0 vs. 7.7) of DM group increased with the advancement of primary tumor depth stage and raising of ELN. Conclusions::DM was an independent risk factor for promoting LN metastasis. The preponderance of LN involvement in the DM group was aggravated with the advancement of tumor depth.

Psoriatic arthritis (PsA) is a complicated psoriasis comorbidity with manifestations of psoriatic skin and arthritic joints, and tailoring specific treatment strategies for simultaneously delivering different drugs to different action sites in PsA remains challenging. We developed a need-based layered dissolving microneedle (MN) system loading immunosuppressant tacrolimus (TAC) and anti-inflammatory diclofenac (DIC) in different layers of MNs,

Pleural infection is a common disease associated with increasing morbidity and high mortality. Factors such as age, geographical area, settings of infection (hospital or community acquired)or certain underlying diseases can influence the microbiology of pleural infection. Thus, understanding the microbiology of pleural infection is of vital importance to guide therapeutic decisions. Since the positive rate of conventional cultures is low among cases of pleural infection, new diagnostic methods such as 16S ribosomal RNA (16S rRNA)and metagenomic next-generation sequencing(mNGS)have broad prospects in clinical applications. 16S rRNA and mNGS improves the etiologic diagnosis of pleural infection, facilitating the decision of appropriate anti-infection regimens. The treatment of pleural infection includes appropriate anti-infection regimen, pleural drainage, intrapleural therapy and the need for medical thoracoscopy or surgery. It is convinced that the use of intra-pleural DNase and t-PA has exhibited excellent therapeutic effects in pleural infection and reduced the need for surgery. This paper summarizes recent literatures on the microbiologic characteristics of pleural infection and progress of diagnosis and treatment, aimed to provide clinical evidence for the management of pleural infection.

The prognosis of advanced gastric cancer (AGC) is extremely poor. There is no standard and satisfactory treatment strategy for AGC. In clinical practice, some AGC patients can achieve long-term survival. However, it is not clear which type of AGC can benefit the best in specific treatment mode. Because of the high heterogeneity of AGC, it is particularly important to further dig out more significant beneficiary groups. Therefore, experts put forward the classification based on the biological characteristics and the surgery-oriented classification to predict and select patients who benefit from conversion therapy. While for immunotherapy, the biomarkers, molecular subtyping and potential combination strategies are explored to break through its bottleneck in the treatment in AGC that only certain individuals benefit from it. The authors review the research progress in treatment for advanced gastric cancer.