Objective To describe the significance of the pretreatment inflammatory indicators in predicting the prognosis of patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) after undergoing radical radiotherapy. Methods The data of 246 ESCC patients who underwent radical radiotherapy were retrospectively collected. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were drawn to determine the optimal cutoff values for platelet-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), and systemic immune-inflammation index (SII). The Kaplan-Meier method was used for survival analysis. We conducted univariate and multivariate analyses by using the Cox proportional risk regression model. Software R (version 4.2.0) was used to create the nomogram of prognostic factors. Results The results of the ROC curve analysis showed that the optimal cutoff values of PLR, NLR, and SII were 146.06, 2.67, and 493.97, respectively. The overall response rates were 77.6% and 64.5% in the low and high NLR groups, respectively (P<0.05). The results of the Kaplan-Meier survival analysis revealed that the prognosis of patients in the low PLR, NLR, and SII group was better than that of patients in the high PLR, NLR, and SII group (all P<0.05). The results of the multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that gender, treatment modalities, T stage, and NLR were independent factors affecting the overall survival (OS). In addition, T stage and NLR were independent factors affecting the progression-free survival (PFS) (all P<0.05). The nomogram models of OS and PFS prediction were established based on multivariate analysis. The C-index values were 0.703 and 0.668. The calibration curves showed excellent consistency between the predicted and observed OS and PFS. Conclusion The pretreatment values of PLR, NLR, and SII are correlated with the prognosis of patients with ESCC who underwent radical radiotherapy. Moreover, NLR is an independent factor affecting the OS and PFS of ESCC patients. The NLR-based nomogram model has a good predictive ability.

Objective: To analyze the association between alcohol consumption and lumbar disc herniation (LDH), so as to provide a reference for the development of prevention and treatment strategies for LDH. Methods: From May to July 2022, permanent residents aged ≥18 years from eight counties (cities/districts) in Gansu Province were selected using a multistage stratified random sampling method. Data on basic characteristics, alcohol consumption in the past 30 days, hypertension, and diabetes mellitus were collected through questionnaire surveys. LDH was determined based on imaging findings, combined with disease history or clinical symptoms. Multivariable logistic regression model was used to analyze the association between alcohol consumption and LDH, with subgroup analyses conducted by gender, age, ethnicity, and altitude of residence. Propensity score matching (PSM) was utilized for sensitivity analysis. Results: A total of 4 545 individuals were surveyed. There were 2 026 (44.58%) males and 2 519 (55.42%) females. The mean age was (44.82±15.33) years. The study participants were predominantly of Han ethnicity, with 2 598 persons accounting for 57.17%. The altitude of residence was mainly above 3 500 m, with 1 941 persons accounting for 42.71%. There were 574 alcohol drinkers, accounting for 12.63%. LDH was detected in 1 035 cases, with a detection rate of 22.77%. Multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that after adjusting for gender, age, physical activity, and hypertension, compared to non-drinking residents, alcohol-consuming residents exhibited a 27.6% reduction in the risk of LDH (OR=0.724, 95%CI: 0.544-0.963). No significant interaction effects on LDH risk were observed between alcohol consumption and gender, age, ethnicity, or altitude of residence (all Pfor interaction >0.05). The results of the sensitivity analysis indicated that compared to non-drinking residents, alcohol-consuming residents exhibited a 38.8% reduction in the risk of LDH (OR=0.612, 95%CI: 0.382-0.976). Conclusion Alcohol consumption was statistically associated with a lower risk of LDH.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the genetic causal relationship of leukocyte telomere length (LTL) with prostatitis, orchitis and epididymitis by two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR). METHODS: Using LTL as the exposure factor and prostatitis, orchitis and epididymitis as outcome factors, we mined the Database of Genome-Wide Association Studies (GWAS). Then, we analyzed the causal relationship of LTL with prostatitis, orchitis and epididymitis by Mendelian randomization using inverse variance weighting (IVW) as the main method and weighted median and MR-Egger regression as auxiliary methods, determined the horizontal multiplicity by MR-Egger intercept test, and conducted sensitivity analysis using the leaving-one-out method. RESULTS: A total of 121 related single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were identified in this study. IVW showed LTL to be a risk factor for prostatitis (OR = 1.383, 95% CI: 1.044－1.832, P = 0.024), and for orchitis and epididymitis as well (OR = 1.770, 95% CI: 1.275－2.456, P = 0.000 6). CONCLUSION Genetic evidence from Mendelian randomized analysis indicates that shortening of LTL reduces the risk of prostatitis, orchitis and epididymitis.
Humans ; Male ; Mendelian Randomization Analysis ; Epididymitis/genetics* ; Prostatitis/genetics* ; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide ; Leukocytes ; Orchitis/genetics* ; Genome-Wide Association Study ; Telomere ; Risk Factors

Acute lung injury (ALI) has been a kind of acute and severe disease that is mainly characterized by systemic uncontrolled inflammatory response to the production of huge amounts of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the lung tissue. Given the critical role of ROS in ALI, a Fe₃O₄ loaded bovine serum albumin (BSA) nanocluster (BF) was developed to act as a nanomedicine for the treatment of ALI. Combining with NIR irradiation, it exhibited excellent ROS scavenging capacity. Significantly, it also displayed the excellent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory functions for lipopolysaccharides (LPS) induced macrophages (RAW264.7), and Sprague Dawley rats via lowering intracellular ROS levels, reducing inflammatory factors expression levels, inducing macrophage M2 polarization, inhibiting NF-κB signaling pathway, increasing CD4⁺/CD8⁺ T cell ratios, as well as upregulating HSP70 and CD31 expression levels to reprogram redox homeostasis, reduce systemic inflammation, activate immunoregulation, and accelerate lung tissue repair, finally achieving the synergistic enhancement of ALI immunotherapy. It finally provides an effective therapeutic strategy of BF + NIR for the management of inflammation related diseases.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the relationship between serum chloride levels and prognosis in patients with hepatic coma in the intensive care unit (ICU). METHODS: We analyzed 545 patients with hepatic coma in the ICU from the Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care IV (MIMIC-IV) database. Associations between serum chloride levels and 28-day and 1-year mortality rates were assessed using restricted cubic splines (RCSs), Kaplan-Meier (KM) curves, and Cox regression. Subgroup analyses, external validation, and mechanistic studies were also performed. RESULTS: A total of 545 patients were included in the study. RCS analysis revealed a U-shaped association between serum chloride levels and mortality in patients with hepatic coma. The KM curves indicated lower survival rates among patients with low chloride levels (< 103 mmol/L). Low chloride levels were independently linked to increased 28-day and 1-year all-cause mortality rates. In the multivariate models, the hazard ratio ( HR) for 28-day mortality in the low-chloride group was 1.424 (95% confidence interval [ CI]: 1.041-1.949), while the adjusted hazard ratio for 1-year mortality was 1.313 (95% CI: 1.026-1.679). Subgroup analyses and external validation supported these findings. Cytological experiments suggested that low chloride levels may activate the phosphorylation of the NF-κB signaling pathway, promote the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines, and reduce neuronal cell viability. CONCLUSION Low serum chloride levels are independently associated with increased mortality in patients with hepatic coma.
Humans ; Male ; Female ; Middle Aged ; Intensive Care Units ; Prognosis ; Chlorides/blood* ; Aged ; Coma/blood* ; Adult

Objective To explore the functional mechanism of spinal cord fragile X mental retardation protein(FMRP)involved in neuropathic pain(NP)by using the sciatic nerve model of chronic compression injury(CCI).Methods First,to investigate the changes of spinal cord FMRP and β-catenin following the development of NP,this study compared the 50%mechanical withdrawal threshold(MWT)and thermal withdrawal latency(TWL)in CCI rats,as well as changes of FMRP and β-catenin in the spinal dorsal horn post-surgery,through random grouping.Immunofluorescence staining was performed on spinal cord tissue sections from CCI rats.Second,to further validate the alterations in pain behavior when the FMRP function was lost,we measured the 50%MWT,TWL,and FMRP and β-catenin in the spinal dorsal horn after FMRP knockdown in CCI rats.Finally,we measured the 50%MWT,TWL,and FMRP and β-catenin in the case of FMRP hyperfunction for validation.Results Compared with the baseline CCI group and the naive and sham groups after modeling,the CCI group after modeling showed decreases in 50%MWT and TWL(all P<0.001).After modeling,compared with the naive group and the sham group,the CCI group presented up-regulated expression of FMRP(P=0.027,P=0.022)and β-catenin(P<0.001,P=0.001)in the spinal dorsal horn.No co-localization of FMRP with astrocytes and microglia was observed in the spinal cord,while the co-localization with neurons was observed.Compared with the baseline,the CCI+FMRP knockdown group showed decreases in 50%MWT(P=0.015)and TWL(P=0.001)after modeling.After intrathecal injection of small interfering RNA(siRNA),the 50%MWT(P=0.020)and TWL(P=0.009)of the CCI+FMRP knockdown group were increased.Moreover,compared with the CCI group and the CCI+solvent group,the CCI+FMRP knockdown group showed increases in 50%MWT(both P<0.001)and TWL(P=0.005,P=0.006).After intrathecal injection of siRNA,the expression levels of FMRP(P=0.012,P=0.007)and β-catenin(both P<0.001)in the spinal dorsal horn of the CCI+FMRP knockdown group were lower than those of the CCI group and the CCI+solvent group.Compared with the baseline FMRP overexpression group and the naive and negative control groups after adeno-associated virus(AAV)injection,the FMRP overexpression group after AAV injection showed decreases in 50%MWT and TWL(all P<0.001).After AAV injection,compared with the naive group and the negative control group,the FMRP overexpression group demonstrated up-regulated expression of FMRP(both P<0.001)and β-catenin(P=0.006,P=0.008)in the spinal cord.Conclusions This study confirms that spinal cord FMRP and β-catenin are involved in NP induced by CCI.Spinal cord FMRP may be one of the potential therapeutic targets for NP.
Animals ; beta Catenin/metabolism* ; Neuralgia/metabolism* ; Fragile X Mental Retardation Protein/physiology* ; Spinal Cord/metabolism* ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Male

Objective To investigate the clinical characteristics and prognosis of pneumococcal meningitis(PM),and drug sensitivity of Streptococcus pneumoniae(SP)isolates in Chinese children.Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on clinical information,laboratory data,and microbiological data of 160 hospitalized children under 15 years old with PM from January 2019 to December 2020 in 33 tertiary hospitals across the country.Results Among the 160 children with PM,there were 103 males and 57 females.The age ranged from 15 days to 15 years,with 109 cases(68.1% )aged 3 months to under 3 years.SP strains were isolated from 95 cases(59.4% )in cerebrospinal fluid cultures and from 57 cases(35.6% )in blood cultures.The positive rates of SP detection by cerebrospinal fluid metagenomic next-generation sequencing and cerebrospinal fluid SP antigen testing were 40% (35/87)and 27% (21/78),respectively.Fifty-five cases(34.4% )had one or more risk factors for purulent meningitis,113 cases(70.6% )had one or more extra-cranial infectious foci,and 18 cases(11.3% )had underlying diseases.The most common clinical symptoms were fever(147 cases,91.9% ),followed by lethargy(98 cases,61.3% )and vomiting(61 cases,38.1% ).Sixty-nine cases(43.1% )experienced intracranial complications during hospitalization,with subdural effusion and/or empyema being the most common complication[43 cases(26.9% )],followed by hydrocephalus in 24 cases(15.0% ),brain abscess in 23 cases(14.4% ),and cerebral hemorrhage in 8 cases(5.0% ).Subdural effusion and/or empyema and hydrocephalus mainly occurred in children under 1 year old,with rates of 91% (39/43)and 83% (20/24),respectively.SP strains exhibited complete sensitivity to vancomycin(100% ,75/75),linezolid(100% ,56/56),and meropenem(100% ,6/6).High sensitivity rates were also observed for levofloxacin(81% ,22/27),moxifloxacin(82% ,14/17),rifampicin(96% ,25/26),and chloramphenicol(91% ,21/23).However,low sensitivity rates were found for penicillin(16% ,11/68)and clindamycin(6% ,1/17),and SP strains were completely resistant to erythromycin(100% ,31/31).The rates of discharge with cure and improvement were 22.5% (36/160)and 66.2% (106/160),respectively,while 18 cases(11.3% )had adverse outcomes.Conclusions Pediatric PM is more common in children aged 3 months to under 3 years.Intracranial complications are more frequently observed in children under 1 year old.Fever is the most common clinical manifestation of PM,and subdural effusion/emphysema and hydrocephalus are the most frequent complications.Non-culture detection methods for cerebrospinal fluid can improve pathogen detection rates.Adverse outcomes can be noted in more than 10% of PM cases.SP strains are high sensitivity to vancomycin,linezolid,meropenem,levofloxacin,moxifloxacin,rifampicin,and chloramphenicol.[Chinese Journal of Contemporary Pediatrics,2024,26(2):131-138]