Abtract Objective:To establish a graphite furnace atomic absorption spectroscopy,and to determine the content of aluminum in the hemofiltration base solution.Methods:The standard addition method of atomic absorption of graphite furnace was used to add matrix modifier to determine the content of aluminum.Results:Aluminum has a good linear relationship in the range of 0-20 μg·L-1,r=0.998;The detection limit concentration was 0.91 μg·L-1.The average recovery rate was 96.5％.The results of the three batches were 3.299,1.232 and 2.431 μg·L-1,respectively.Conclution:This method can effectively measure the content of aluminum in hemofiltration base solution products,and control the raw materials,production and packaging of products that may introduce pollution pathways.It is recommended that enterprises pay attention to the detection of aluminum content in the on hemofil-tration base solution to minimize the risk of contamination and ensure the quality of products.

Objective:To develop an HPLC method with gradient elution for the simultaneous determination of 4 bacteriostatic agents in triamcinolone acetonide econazole cream from the different manufacturers.Methods:The test was performed on a Waters Symmetry C18 column(250 mm ×4.6 mm,5 μm)under gradient elution of metha-nol(A)and methanol-0.02 mol·L-1 sodium dihydrogen phosphate solution(B).The flow rate of 1.0 mL·min-1 and the column temperature was 35 ℃.The detection wavelengths were 228 nm and 254 nm.Results:The good separation of the bacteriostatic agents peaks were achieved.The linear ranges of benzoic acid,methyl hydroxybenzoate,ethylparaben and propylparaben fell into 0.010 348-0.155 22 mg·mL-1,0.009 876-0.148145 mg·mL-1,0.010 106-0.151 588 mg·mL-1 and 0.010 259-0.153 882 mg·mL-1 respectively.The av-erage recoveries were 99.68％(RSD=2.35％),100.21％(RSD=1.78％),100.47％(RSD=1.59％)and 100.06％(RSD=1.65％)respectively.The LODs were 3 × 10-5 mg·mL-1,1.67 × 10-5 mg·mL-1,1.67 × 10-5 mg·mL-1 and 1.67 × 10-5 mg·mL-1 respectively.Conclusion:The established method is sensitive and accurate,and has the good separation.It provides the reliable basis for the quality control of triamcinolone ace-tonide econazole cream.

Objective:Migraine and tremor share some genetic mutation sites,and clinical studies have also confirmed their correlation.This study aims to explore the clinical and electrophysiological characteristics of migraine patients with concomitant tremor,and to analyze the relevant influential factors of tremor occurrence. Methods:We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of 217 migraine patients who visited the Third Affiliated Hospital of Qiqihar Medical University from June 2022 to October 2023.The Clinical Rating Scale for Tremor(CRST),Numerical Rating Scale(NRS),Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7(GAD-7),and Patient Health Questionnaire-9(PHQ-9)were respectively used to assess the tremor symptoms,degree of headache,anxiety,and depression of patients.All patients underwent routine head MR scanning and electromyography examination,and were divided into a migraine with tremor group and a migraine without tremor group based on the electromyogram examination. Results:The migraine with tremor group and the migraine without tremor group were included 52 patients(23.96%)and 165 patients(76.04%),respectively.Compared with the migraine without tremor group,the migraine with tremor group had a longer course and duration of headache,higher frequency of headache attacks,higher NRS score,GAD-7 score,and PHQ-9 score,and fewer weekly physical exercises.The differences were statistically significant(all P<0.05).There were no statistically significant differences in the presence or absence of prodromal headache and white matter hyperintensities(WMHs)between the 2 groups(both P>0.05).The evaluation results of the CRST showed that out of 217 migraine patients,39 patients(17.97%)were accompanied by tremors.The electromyographic results showed that all 52 migraine patients with tremors had upper limb tremors,including 28 migraine patients with postural tremors and 24 migraine patients with static tremors.Compared with the migraine patients with static tremors,the migraine patients with postural tremors had lower average frequency,peak frequency,and headache onset frequency(all P<0.05).Multiple linear regression analysis showed that frequency of physical exercise,duration of illness,frequency of headache attacks,NRS score,GAD-7 score,and PHQ-9 score were risk factors for migraine patients with concomitant tremors(all P<0.05). Conclusion:Patients with migraine mainly experience upper limb postural tremors.Reduced physical exercise,long course of disease,long duration of headache,frequent headache attacks,severe headache,anxiety,and depression are risk factors for migraine patients with concomitant tremors.

Background/Aims: Four-week treatment of linvencorvir (RO7049389) was generally safe and well tolerated, and showed anti-viral activity in chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients. This study evaluated the efficacy, safety, and pharmacokinetics of 48-week treatment with linvencorvir plus standard of care (SoC) in CHB patients. Methods: This was a multicentre, non-randomized, non-controlled, open-label phase 2 study enrolling three cohorts: nucleos(t)ide analogue (NUC)-suppressed patients received linvencorvir plus NUC (Cohort A, n=32); treatment-naïve patients received linvencorvir plus NUC without (Cohort B, n=10) or with (Cohort C, n=30) pegylated interferon-α (Peg-IFN-α). Treatment duration was 48 weeks, followed by NUC alone for 24 weeks. Results: 68 patients completed the study. No patient achieved functional cure (sustained HBsAg loss and unquantifiable HBV DNA). By Week 48, 89% of treatment-naïve patients (10/10 Cohort B; 24/28 Cohort C) reached unquantifiable HBV DNA. Unquantifiable HBV RNA was achieved in 92% of patients with quantifiable baseline HBV RNA (14/15 Cohort A, 8/8 Cohort B, 22/25 Cohort C) at Week 48 along with partially sustained HBV RNA responses in treatment-naïve patients during follow-up period. Pronounced reductions in HBeAg and HBcrAg were observed in treatment-naïve patients, while HBsAg decline was only observed in Cohort C. Most adverse events were grade 1–2, and no linvencorvir-related serious adverse events were reported. Conclusions 48-week linvencorvir plus SoC was generally safe and well tolerated, and resulted in potent HBV DNA and RNA suppression. However, 48-week linvencorvir plus NUC with or without Peg-IFN did not result in the achievement of functional cure in any patient.

Objective:To evaluate the clinical application value of endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS) in the etiological diagnosis of patients initially diagnosed with idiopathic acute pancreatitis (IAP).Methods:Clinical data of 128 patients who underwent further EUS and magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP) after initial diagnosis of IAP at the Gastrointestinal Endoscopy Center of the First Affiliated Hospital of Naval Medical University between January 2015 and February 2022 were collected and divided into a single-episode group (single-episode group, 51 cases) and a multiple-episode group (recurrent group, 77 cases) based on the number of AP episodes. The data and the diagnosis of the etiology of IAP in the two groups by EUS were analyzed and compared with the etiological diagnosis results of MRCP.Results:The differences on basic information such as gender, age, history of smoking, history of alcohol consumption, family history of pancreatic disease, history of cholecystectomy, abnormality of liver function, and severity of pancreatitis between the single-episode group and recurrent group of IAP patients were not statistically significant. The etiology was clarified in 79 (62%) IAP patients after EUS examination, of which 55 (43%) cases had biliary disease (gallstones, microlithiasis, biliary sludge) and 24 (19%) cases had pancreatic disease (chronic pancreatitis, pancreatic divisum, pancreatic interstitial or pancreatic ductal changes). The percentage of patients with biliary disease as the cause of IAP was significantly higher in the single-episode group than in the recurrent group (59% vs 32%), while the percentage of patients with pancreatic disease as the cause of IAP was higher in the recurrent group than in the single-episode group (25% vs 10%), with statistically significant differences ( P values=0.004 and 0.035, respectively). The performance of EUS in diagnosing the etiology of IAP was significantly higher than that of MRCP (62% vs 19%, P=0.032), where EUS was more accurate in detecting biliary microlithiasis or biliary sludge (43% vs 9%, P<0.01). EUS was also superior to MRCP in identifying subtle changes in chronic pancreatitis lesions (small pancreatic nodules, patchy hyperechogenicity, etc.) and intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms(17% vs 7%, P<0.05), but was inferior to MRCP in identifying pancreatic divisum (2 cases vs 4 cases). Conclusions:In view of high diagnostic accuracy and safety of EUS in diagnosing biliary diseases, and based on the fact that most IAPs in China are due to biliary diseases, EUS based management strategy can be considered to be a reasonable approach for evaluation of IAP patients. The MRCP can be used as a supplement to the EUS to identify a controversial etiology.

Objective To investigate the effect of fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) on a rat model of hypertriglyceridemic acute pancreatitis (HLAP). Methods A total of 72 male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into sham-operation group, model group, Rheum officinale group, and fecal microbiota group, with 18 rats in each group. After 8 weeks of feeding with high-fat diet, the rats in the sham-operation group were given sham operation, and those in the other three groups were given retrograde pancreaticobiliary injection of 5% sodium taurocholate to induce acute pancreatitis; after modeling, the rats in the Rheum officinale group were given enema with Rheum officinale , and those in the fecal microbiota group were given enema with fresh fecal microbiota solution. Blood, pancreatic, and terminal ileal tissue samples were collected at 6, 24, and 36 hours after surgery. HE staining was used to observe histopathological changes of the pancreas and the intestine; an automatic biochemical analyzer was used to measure the serum levels of amylase, alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HLD-C); ELISA was used to measure the serum levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and endotoxin as an index for intestinal permeability. A one-way analysis of variance was used for comparison of normally distributed continuous data between multiple groups, and the least significant difference t -test or the Tamhane T2 test was used for further comparison between two groups; the Kruskal-Wallis H test was used for comparison of non-normally distributed continuous data between multiple groups, and the Bonferroni method was used for further comparison between two groups. Results Compared with the sham-operation group, the Rheum officinale group and the fecal microbiota group had no significant increase in the pathological score of the terminal ileum at 6 and 24 hours, and there was no significant difference between the fecal microbiota group and the sham-operation group at 36 hours (all P > 0.05). At 36 hours, the Rheum officinale group and the fecal microbiota group had a significantly lower serum level of amylase than the model group (all P < 0.05). Compared with the model group, the Rheum officinale group had a significantly lower serum level of ALT at 36 hours ( P < 0.05) and a significantly lower serum level of AST at 24 hours ( P < 0.05), while the fecal microbiota group had a significantly lower level of ALT at each time point ( P < 0.05) and a significantly lower serum level of AST at 24 and 36 hours (all P < 0.05). The Rheum officinale group and the fecal microbiota group had significant reductions in the serum levels of TC and TG (all P < 0.05); compared with the Rheum officinale group, the fecal microbiota group had a significantly higher serum level of HDL-C at 24 and 36 hours (all P < 0.05), and compared with the model group, the fecal microbiota group had a significantly lower serum level of HDL-C at each time period (all P < 0.05). There were no significant differences in the inflammatory indices IL-6 and TNF-α between the fecal microbiota group and the sham-operation group at each time point (all P > 0.05), and the Rheum officinale group had significantly higher levels than the sham-operation group (all P < 0.05); both the Rheum officinale group and the fecal microbiota group had a significantly lower serum level of endotoxin than the model group (all P < 0.05), and the fecal microbiota group had a significantly lower level of endotoxin than the Rheum officinale group within 6 hours of treatment ( P < 0.05). Conclusion Both Rheum officinale and fecal microbiota transplantation can improve tissue inflammation and intestinal permeability in HLAP rats and can improve lipid metabolism and alleviate the progression of pancreatitis to a certain extent, and fecal microbiota transplantation shows a better clinical effect than Rheum officinale alone, but more randomized controlled trials are needed for further investigation.

Objective:To report our experience in diagnosis and treatment of posterior atlantoaxial dislocation with odontoid retrolisthesis.Methods:A retrospective study was conducted of the 5 patients who had been treated from July 2012 to August 2018 at Department of Orthopaedics, General Hospital of Southern Theater Command for posterior atlantoaxial dislocation. They were 4 men and one woman, aged from 34 to 67 years (average, 47 years). All of them had a history of trauma. Of them, 4 were complicated with odontoid fracture and one with congenital free os odontoideum. Their posterior atlantoaxial dislocation ranged from 3 to 9 mm (average, 6 mm). By the American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) grading system, their preoperative spinal injury was rated as grade B in one, as grade C in 3 cases and as grade D in one. All the 5 patients underwent skull traction at 10° flexion. Surgical trans-oralpharyngeal atlantoaxial reduction and internal fixation was performed for the one patient whose reduction had not been achieved by traction while posterior atlantoaxial screw-rod fixation or anterior odontoid screwing was conducted for the 4 patients whose reduction had been achieved by traction. The distance of posterior atlantoaxial dislocation was measured to evaluate their reduction and ASIA grade system was used to assess their spinal function after operation.Results:The postoperative distance of posterior atlantoaxial dislocation was 0 mm, showing a reduction rate of 100%. The 5 patients were followed up for 6 to 36 months (average, 15 months). By the ASIA grade system, the postoperative functional recovery of the spine was grade D in 4 cases and grade C in one. No implant loosening or breakage occurred.Conclusion:As a kind of high-energy hyperextension injury, posterior atlantoaxial dislocation is rare in clinic, but an appropriate treatment can be adopted to deal with its different clinical types to achieve good outcomes.

Immunotherapy has become the fourth cancer therapy after surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy. In particular, immune checkpoint inhibitors are proved to be unprecedentedly in increasing the overall survival rates of patients with refractory cancers, such as advanced melanoma, non-small cell lung cancer, and renal cell carcinoma. However, inhibitor therapies are only effective in a small proportion of patients with problems, such as side effects and high costs. Therefore, doctors urgently need reliable predictive biomarkers for checkpoint inhibitor therapies to choose the optimal therapies. Here, we review the biomarkers that can serve as potential predictors of the outcomes of immune checkpoint inhibitor treatment, including tumor-specific profiles and tumor microenvironment evaluation and other factors.
Autoantibodies ; blood ; immunology ; Biomarkers, Tumor ; blood ; immunology ; Humans ; Immunotherapy ; Neoplasms ; blood ; therapy ; Tumor Microenvironment

Objective: To observe the effect of acupuncture at points selected from different regions on the positive expression of interstitial cells of Cajal (ICC) and the stem cell factor (SCF) in gastric antrum tissues in diabetic gastroparesis (DGP) rats, and to explore the influence of region-based point selection on the acupoint combination efficacy. Methods: Sixty Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were randomly divided into a normal group (group A), a model group (group B), a group of Zusanli (ST 36) plus Zhongwan (CV 12) (group C), a group of Zusanli (ST 36) plus Neiguan (PC 6) (group D), and a group of Zusanli (ST 36) plus non-meridian non-acupoint points (group E), based on the random number table (n=12). DGP rat model was established by single intraperitoneal injection of 2% streptozotocin and common diet. After successful modeling, the rats were treated once a day for 4 weeks. Positive ICC and SCF expressions were measured by immunohistochemistry. Results: Compared with group A, the gastrointestinal propulsion rate of group B showed a statistically significant decrease (P<0.05). Compared with group B, the gastrointestinal propulsion rate and the expression of ICC in the gastric antrum were significantly higher in group C, group D and group E, and the between-group differences were statistically significant (P<0.05); the expression of C-kit protein in group C was statistically significantly higher than that in group D and group E (P<0.05). The expression of SCF protein was significantly increased in group C than in group B, and the difference was statistically significant (P<0.05). Conclusion: Acupuncture can improve the symptoms of delayed gastric emptying in DGP model rats, and regulate the expression of ICC and SCF in gastric antrum tissues. The effect of Zusanli (ST 36) plus Zhongwan (CV 12) in the gastric region is superior to that of the Zusanli (ST 36) plus distal Neiguan (PC 6) or non-meridian non-acupoint point, indicating that region-based point selection is the key factor affecting the effect of acupoint combination.

Objective: To analyze the morbidity, clinical characteristics, therapeutic outcomes and prognosis of cardiac lymphoma. Methods: Individual patient data were obtained from pathology defined 10 cases of cardiac lymphoma from Jan 2000 to Jun 2016. The patient’s general information, clinical manifestation, pathological diagnosis, laboratory examination, cardiac involvement feature, cardiac complications, treatment, therapeutic effect and prognosis were analyzed. Results: Of 3 918 cases of lymphoma patients, 10 cases of cardiac involvement were identified, including primary cardiac lymphoma (PCL) in 1 case, secondary cardiac lymphoma (SCL) in 9 cases. Of the 10 patients in our analysis, the male-to-female ratio was 3∶2, with a median age of 55 (19-88) years old. The most presenting complaints were dyspnea in 7 cases, followed by chest pain in 5 cases, fatigue in 2 patients and edema in 2 cases. Pathological types included diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL) in 7 cases, T cell lymphoma (T-LBL) in 1 case, Hodgkin’s lymphoma (HL) in 1 case, and Burkitt lymphoma (BL) in 1 case. The sites of the heart affected by lymphoma in the PCL patient were right and left atriums with multiple nodules; and for SCL, the sites were mainly pericardium associated with a pericardial effusion in 5 cases, a pericardial mass in 2 cases. Congestive heart failure affects 7 patients and cardiac arrhythmias were identified in 4 cases mainly sinus tachycardia, atrial fibrillation and atrioventricular block. Except one untreated because of old age and poor performance, the rest of 9 patients were treated by either chemotherapy in 4 cases or chemotherapy combined radiotherapy (including the extracardiac sites) in 5 patients. With the median follow-up of 9 months, the one PCL patient achieved partial response (PR) , progress free survival (PFS) for 6 months and the overall survival (OS) for 21 months; in the cohort of 6 SCL patients cardiac involved at diagnosis, complete response (CR) was achieved in 1 case (16.7%) , PR in 3 cases, progressing disease (PD) in 2 cases, with the median PFS for 5 months and the median OS for 19 months; and for the other 3 SCL patients cardiac involved at progression, PR was achieved in 2 case and death in 1 case, with the median PFS for 4 months and the median OS unavailable because of censored data. Conclusion Cardiac lymphoma represents a rare subset of lymphoma, the most common type is DLBCL, and the main clinical manifestations are dyspnea and chest pain, always combined by arrhythmia and congestive heart failure. The main therapeutic regimen for cardiac lymphoma includes combined chemotherapy and the prognosis for patients with either PCL or SCL is usually poor.