Objective The SEER database was utilized to analyze the prognosis and related factors for patients with locally resectable esophageal cancer undergoing preoperative chemoradiotherapy.A nomogram for predicting survival was established to provide reference for screening patients receiving preoperative chemoradiotherapy.Methods Patients diagnosed with stage T1b-4aN0-3M0(7th version AJCC in 2010) resectable esophageal cancer receiving preoperative chemoradiotherapy between 2010 and 2015 were selected from the SEER database.The survival rate was determined by Kaplan-Meier method.The univariate analysis was performed by log-rank test.The multivariate analysis was conducted by Cox test.The nomogram for survival prediction was established by using R software.The predicting accuracy of the nomogram was evaluated by C-index and calibration curve.Results A total of 1 697 eligible patients were included.Univariate analysis showed that sex,T stage,N stage and tumor differentiation were significantly associated with overall survival (OS) and cancer-specific survival rate (CSS)(all P＜0.001),and age (P=0.027) was significantly correlated with OS.Multivariate analysis demonstrated that age,sex,tumor differentiation and N stage were significantly associated with OS.Sex,tumor differentiation,T stage and N stage were significantly correlated with CSS (all P＜0.05).After the prognostic factors were included into the nomogram,the C-index for 5-year OS and CSS was 0.60 and 0.61.The model for predicting survival of patients with esophageal squamous cell cancer was established by using the same method.The C-index for the OS and CSS was 0.62 and 0.64.Conclusions Sex,clinical stage and tumor differentiation are prognostic factors of CSS in patients with locally resectable esophageal cancer undergoing preoperative chemoradiotherapy followed by surgery.The nomogram established according to the data above can provide certain reference for the selection of preoperative chemoradiotherapy combined with surgery.

Objective: To study the effect of miR-194-3p on the migration of keloid fibroblasts. Methods: Differentially expressed miRNA were screened by gene chip in 8 human keloid and normal tissues. The down regulated miR-194-3p was selected for study and its binding to RUNX2 was predicted by MiRDB, and verified by fluorescent reporter gene in human keloid fibroblasts (HKFs) and passage 3 keloid cells, respectively. The effect of miR-194-3p on the migration of fibroblasts was detected by transwell assay. Western blot and real-time PCR were used to analyze the effect of miR-194-3p on RUNX2 and MMP2 expression in HKFs. The results were analyzed by SPSS 19.0 software and compared by non-paired t test. P<0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: There were abnormal expressions of miR-721, miR-21-3p, miR-382-3p, miR-194-3p, miR-3107-5p and miR-144-5p in keloid. miRDB software analysis showed that miR-194-3p and RUNX2 had targeted binding sites. Reporter gene experiments showed that miR-194-3p inhibited the activity of RUNX2 by about 50% compared with the control group (t=2.7764, P=0.0005). MiR-194-3p could significantly inhibit the expression of RUNX2 and MMP2, and inhibited the migration of keloid fibroblasts (t=2.7764, P<0.05). Conclusion MiR-194-3p may inhibit the migration of fibroblasts by inhibiting the activity of RUNX2 in keloid.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the genetic etiology for a child with profound intellectual disabilities and obvious behavioral abnormalities. METHODS: A male child who had presented at the Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University on December 2, 2020 was selected as the study subject. Peripheral blood samples of the child and his parents were collected and subjected to whole exome sequencing (WES). Candidate variant was verified by Sanger sequencing. Short tandem repeat (STR) analysis was carried out to determine its parental origin. The splicing variant was also validated in vitro with a minigene assay. RESULTS: WES results revealed that the child had harbored a novel splicing variant of c.176-2A>G in the PAK3 gene, which was inherited from his mother. The results of minigene assay have confirmed aberrant splicing of exon 2. According to the guidelines from the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics, it was classified as a pathogenic variant (PVS1+PM2_Supporting+PP3). CONCLUSION The novel splicing variant c.176-2A>G of the PAK3 gene probably underlay the disorder in this child. Above finding has expanded the variation spectrum of the PAK3 gene and provided a basis for genetic counseling and prenatal diagnosis for this family.
Child ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Pregnancy ; Exons ; Intellectual Disability/genetics* ; Mothers ; Mutation ; p21-Activated Kinases/genetics* ; Parents ; RNA Splicing

Objective:To investigate the value of early tight junction protein Claudin-5 levels in predicting the severity of acute pancreatitis (AP).Methods:A prospective observational study was conducted, including patients diagnosed with AP and admitted to the Northern Jiangsu People's Hospital from December 1, 2021 to November 30, 2022. Eligible healthy volunteers were randomly selected to serve as healthy controls during the same period. Patients were classified into mild acute pancreatitis (MAP) group, moderate-severe acute pancreatitis (MSAP) group, and severe acute pancreatitis (SAP) group based on the 2012 Atlanta classification criteria. Patients with SAP were then divided into three subgroups of 1, 3, and 7 days based on the duration of hospitalization. Baseline data, such as gender, age, underlying disease, and probable etiology, was collected from all enrolled individuals. The enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was employed to detect serum Claudin-5 levels in each cohort of enrollees. Data on additional serologic indicators, including hematocrit (HCT), albumin (Alb), serum Ca 2+, C-reactive protein (CRP), and procalcitonin (PCT) levels, were obtained via the in-hospital test query system in each group of patients with AP. The modified Marshall score (mMarshall), modified CT severity index (mCTSI) score, bedside severity index of severity in acute pancreatitis (BISAP) score, and acute physiology and chronic health evaluation Ⅱ(APACHEⅡ) were recorded for each group of patients with AP. Differences in the above indicators between groups were analyzed and compared. Spearman's correlation method was employed to examine the relationship between Claudin-5 levels and each influential factor. The receiver operator characteristic curve (ROC curve) was plotted to analyze the predictive value of each influencing factor on SAP. Ridge regression was used to screen for independent risk factors for SAP. Results:A total of 109 patients with AP were enrolled, comprising 66 in the MAP group, 15 in the MSAP group, and 28 in the SAP group. Additionally, 27 healthy volunteers were enrolled as the healthy control group. No statistically significant differences were observed in gender and age among the enrolled groups, and no statistically significant differences were identified among the three groups of patients with AP in terms of underlying disease and etiologic composition. As the disease progressed, serum Claudin-5 levels exhibited a notable increase across all AP patient groups, and they were all significantly higher than those in the healthy control group [ng/L: 888.58 (574.52, 1 141.59), 3 749.02 (2 784.93, 5 789.92), 4 667.81 (3 935.21, 7 315.66) vs. 291.13 (250.19, 314.75), all P < 0.05]. Subgroup analyses showed that as the disease duration prolonged, patients in the SAP group exhibited a notable decline in Claudin-5 levels at 3 days post-admission, compared with those at 1 day post-admission [ng/L: 2 052.59 (1 089.43, 4 006.47) vs. 4 667.81 (3 935.21, 7 315.66), P < 0.05]. Spearman correlation analysis showed that serum Claudin-5 levels in patients with AP were significantly positively correlated with CRP, PCT, HCT, and mMarshall, mCTSI, and BISAP scores ( r values were 0.570, 0.525, 0.323, 0.774, 0.670, 0.652, all P < 0.001), and significantly negatively correlated with Alb ( r = -0.394, P < 0.001). A significant trend was observed in patients with AP, with an increase of HCT levels and a decrease of Alb levels as the disease progressed (both P < 0.05). An improvement of aforementioned phenomena was observed in patients with SAP following treatment, indirectly indicating that serum Claudin-5 level was a positive indicator of vascular leakage. ROC curve analysis showed that serum Claudin-5 levels in patients with AP exhibited the highest accuracy for early prediction of SAP, with the area under the ROC curve (AUC) of 0.948. When serum Claudin-5 levels ≥2 997 ng/L, the sensitivity for early screening for SAP was 100% and the specificity was 88.89%. Multifactorial ridge regression analysis showed that serum Claudin-5 level, PCT and APACHEⅡscore could be used as independent risk factors for early prediction of SAP (all P < 0.05). Conclusion:Serum Claudin-5 levels facilitate early prediction of SAP and are strongly associated with inflammatory response and vascular leakage.

Objective:To study the signaling pathway of the up-regulation of claudin-5 expression by Xuebijing injection.Methods:Animal and cell models of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) were induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS). ① In vivo study, 20 male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were randomly divided into 4 groups: control group, LPS group (LPS injection 10 mg/kg for 12 hours), Xuebijing control group (Xuebijing injection 1 mg/kg, twice a day, for 3 days), and Xuebijing intervention group (LPS injection after pretreatment of Xuebijing injection), according to random number method with 5 rats in each group. The lung tissues were taken to detect lung dry/wet weight ratio (W/D) and the morphological changes in each group. Claudin-5, phosphorylated forkhead box transcription factor O1 (p-FOXO1), total FOXO1 (t-FOXO1), phosphorylated Akt (p-Akt) and total Akt (t-Akt) in lung tissues were detected by immunohistochemical staining (IHC) and Western blotting. ② In vitro study, human pulmonary microvascular endothelial cells (HPMECs) were divided into 6 groups (5 holes in each group): control group, Xubijing control group (incubated with 2 g/L Xubijing for 24 hours), phosphoinositide 3-kinases (PI3K) signaling pathway LY294002 control group (incubated with 10 μmol/L LY294002 for 1 hour), LPS group (incubated with 1 mg/L LPS for 12 hours), Xubijing intervention group (incubated with 2 g/L Xuebijing for 24 hours, then with 1 mg/L LPS for 12 hours) and LY294002 intervention group (incubated with 10 μmol/L LY294002 for 1 hour, then with 2 g/L and Xubijing for 24 hours, and then with 1 mg/L LPS for 12 hours). The expression levels of claudin-5, p-FOXO1, t-FOXO1, p-Akt and t-Akt of HPMECs in each group were assessed by Western blotting. Results:In vivo study: ① Compared with the control group, the lung W/D ratio increased significantly in LPS group (6.79±0.42 vs. 4.19±0.13), and decreased significantly after the intervention of Xuebijing (4.92±0.38 vs. 6.79±0.42, P < 0.01). ② Morphological changes of lung tissue: compared with the control group, the injury of lung tissue in LPS group was more serious, which was significantly improved after Xuebijing intervention. ③ Expression levels of claudin-5, p-Akt/t-Akt and p-FOXO1/t-FOXO1: the expression levels of claudin-5, p-Akt/t-Akt and p-FOXO1/t-FOXO1 in LPS group were significantly decreased as compared with the control group (claudin-5/GAPDH: 0.33±0.03 vs. 1.03±0.07, p-Akt/t-Akt: 0.18±0.02 vs. 1.01±0.13, p-FOXO1/t-FOXO1: 0.16±0.06 vs. 1.00±0.19, all P < 0.01). After the intervention of Xuebijing, the expression levels were significantly increased as compared with the LPS group (claudin-5/GAPDH: 0.53±0.05 vs. 0.33±0.03, p-Akt/t-Akt: 0.56±0.12 vs. 0.18±0.02, p-FOXO1/t-FOXO1: 0.68±0.10 vs. 0.16±0.06, all P < 0.01). In vitro study: compared with the control group, the expression level of claudin-5 in the LPS group was significantly decreased (claudin-5/β-actin: 0.45±0.03 vs. 1.01±0.15, P < 0.01), and the expression level of claudin-5 in Xuebijing intervention group was also significantly decreased (claudin-5/β-actin: 0.80±0.08 vs. 1.01±0.15, P < 0.01). After the intervention of LY294002, the expression of claudin-5 was significantly decreased as compared with the Xubijing intervention group (claudin-5/β-actin: 0.41±0.02 vs. 0.80±0.08, P < 0.01). Conclusion:Xuebijing injection improve pulmonary vascular barrier function in rats with ARDS by up-regulating claudin-5 expression through PI3K/Akt/FOXO1 signaling pathway.

Objective:To summarize the clinical treatment of complete left bundle branch block (CLBBB) after the transcatheter closure of ventricular septal defect (VSD).Methods:A case series study was conducted on the treatments and outcomes of 25 children with CLBBB after transcatheter VSD closure in Guangdong Provincial People′s Hospital from January 2010 to December 2023.Paired sample t test was used to evaluate the effect of occlude removal. Results:Among the 25 patients, 12 were males (48%), and 13 were females (52%).The age at surgery was 3.18 (2.51-3.86) years, the height before surgery was 95.0 (90.0-97.5) cm, and the weight before surgery was 13 (12-15) kg.Fourteen children were early-onset cases (≤ 1 month), while the other 11 were late-onset cases (> 1 month).The mean follow-up time was (6.63±3.93) years.Of the 14 early-onset cases, 6 children underwent occluder removal within 1 month and restored normal heart rhythm or incomplete right bundle branch block; 4 children underwent occluder removal after 1 month, of whom 2 recovered, 1 remained CLBBB, and 1 had complete atrioventricular block (CAVB); the other 4 children received drug treatment, of whom 2 had normal heart rhythm, 1 had left anterior fascicular block, and 1 died of cardiac shock and heart failure.All the 11 late-onset cases were first treated by drugs, of whom 3 recovered, and the other 8 remained CLBBB.One of the 8 cases received occluder removal at 8 months after surgery and recovered, 1 had CAVB, and the other 6 remained CLBBB.Conclusions:For patients with CLBBB after transcatheter closure of VSD, drug therapy is not always effective, and CLBBB is easy to recur.Therefore, occluder removal is recommended to be done immediately after CLBBB is discovered.Patients with persistent CLBBB should be followed up regularly, and pacemaker implantation may be performed if necessary.

Objective:To investigate the long-term safety and effectiveness of stent implantation for residual pulmonary artery stenosis after complicated congenital heart disease.Methods:The symptoms, signs, echocardiography, cardiac CT, cardiac catheterization, six-minute walking distance, and BNP of 41 patients diagnosed from January 1996 to January 2020. In this group, 41 patients, 30 males and 11 females, aged 1.3-14.5 years old, mean (6.1±3.6) years old, and weighed 8-43 kg, mean (18.9±9.4)kg, compared the diameter of the target vessel, pressure difference across stenosis, cardiac function before and postoperative follow-up, and evaluated the long-term effect of stent implantation in the treatment of pulmonary artery stenosis.Results:All 41 patients were not lost to follow-up, no death, and there were no serious adverse events such as stent fracture, artery dissection and pulmonary embolism during follow-up. The median follow-up time was 7.1 years (3.1 to 13.8 years). As of January 2023, the echocardiographic results showed that the diameter of the target vessels in 41 patients increased from preoperative (3.9±1.5) mm to (6.0±1.5) mm ( P<0.05), the pressure difference across the stenosis decreased from preoperative (51.4±19.1) mmHg to (33.1±19.7) mmHg (1 mmHg=0.133 kPa, P<0.05); Heart spiral CT showed that the ratio of target vessel diameter to distal vessel diameter increased from preoperative 0.4±0.2 to 0.9±0.3( P<0.05). All patients had no slow growth and development, no recurrent lung infection, 39 patients (95.1%) had gradeⅠcardiac function, and 2 patients (4.9%) had gradeⅡcardiac function.As children in school age, the walking distance of 6 min was 462 to 633 m, mean( 529.9±57.1)m, the respiratory score was 0.5-1, and the lower limb force score was 6-12. There were 5 long-term adverse events, including 4 cases of target vessel restenosis (9.7%), and 1 case (2.4%), two of the patients with restenosis with repeated target vessel stenosis and lateral pulmonary hypertension were surgically intervention: stent removing and pumonary expanding, after 4, 13 years of stent implantation.And the others were still in follow-up, and no further intervention was made. The Cox multivariate survival analysis suggested that right ventricular systolic blood pressure was a risk factor for endpoint events before stent implantation ( P<0.05). Conclusion:The treatment of residual pulmonary artery stenosis after complicated congenital heart disease after percutaneous stent implantation can effectively relieve the right heart pressure overload, improve pulmonary blood flow, stabilize cardiac function, improve the long-term prognosis of patients with complicated congenital heart disease, reduce the chest opening rate of reoperation, and have stable long-term curative effect.

Patients with severe trauma require an extremely timely treatment and transfusion plays an irreplaceable role in the emergency treatment of such patients. An increasing number of evidence-based medicinal evidences and clinical practices suggest that patients with severe traumatic bleeding benefit from early transfusion of low-titer group O whole blood or hemostatic resuscitation with red blood cells, plasma and platelet of a balanced ratio. However, the current domestic mode of blood supply cannot fully meet the requirements of timely and effective blood transfusion for emergency treatment of patients with severe trauma in clinical practice. In order to solve the key problems in blood supply and blood transfusion strategies for emergency treatment of severe trauma, Branch of Clinical Transfusion Medicine of Chinese Medical Association, Group for Trauma Emergency Care and Multiple Injuries of Trauma Branch of Chinese Medical Association, Young Scholar Group of Disaster Medicine Branch of Chinese Medical Association organized domestic experts of blood transfusion medicine and trauma treatment to jointly formulate Chinese expert consensus on blood support mode and blood transfusion strategies for emergency treatment of severe trauma patients ( version 2024). Based on the evidence-based medical evidence and Delphi method of expert consultation and voting, 10 recommendations were put forward from two aspects of blood support mode and transfusion strategies, aiming to provide a reference for transfusion resuscitation in the emergency treatment of severe trauma and further improve the success rate of treatment of patients with severe trauma.