Endodermal Sinus Tumor ; pathology ; Female ; Humans ; Infant ; Vaginal Neoplasms ; pathology

Objective To study the early diagnostic predictors and key follow-up parameters for girls with rapidly progressive central precocious puberty (RP-CPP). Methods A total of 260 girls with CPP participated in a prospective, nonrandomized, multi-center, nested case control study. After follow-up six months without any therapy, 114 girls were divided into RP-CPP (n=70) and slowly progressive CPP (SP-CPP) (n=44) groups. Results The basal serum LH and insulin-like growth factor Ⅰstandard deviation score (IGF-ⅠSDS) were the important risk factors of RP-CPP (OR 4.04, 1.578), especially the former. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve revealed that the areas under the ROC curve of basal LH and IGF-ⅠSDS were 0.83 and 0.807, respectively. The levels of basal LH and IGF-ⅠSDS were at 0.52 mIU/ml and 0.35 respectively for the accuracy diagnosis of RP-CPP with the maximum Youden indexs. After follow-up for six months, the change levels of height, breast stages, bone age/chronological age ratio, serum LH, uterine and ovarian volume in RP-CPP group were significantly higher than those in SP-CPP group (all P<0.05). Conclusions The level of basal serum LH and IGF-ⅠSDS may be used as the risk predictors for early diagnosis for girls with RP-CPP. The change levels of basal LH, progress rates of gonad and sex character, height, and impaired growth potential seem to be the key follow-up parameters for CPP progress.

Bitter taste is one of the important contents in the theory of"Five tastes"in traditional Chinese medicine(TCM).It has the functions of"releasing,dryness and firmness"and plays an important role in the treatment of respiratory diseases.Bitter taste receptors(T2Rs)is a kind of G-protein-coupled receptors,studies have shown that it can act on human airway smooth muscle,relax smooth muscle and dilate bronchus,and play a vital role in the treatment of bronchial asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.It can also inhibit the inflammatory reaction and reduce the damage of lung tissue by reducing the release of inflammatory factors and promoting the apoptosis of inflammatory cells.The therapeutic mechanism of bitter Chinese herbs action may depend on the effect of T2Rs,the effects of bitter Chinese herbs such as"lowering qi","releasing heat","eliminating dampness"are quite consistent with the cognitions of western medicine that bitter taste receptors could"relaxe bronchus","reduce airway resistance","inhibits inflammatory factors"and"reduces mucus secretion".Based on the understanding of bitter taste in TCM theory and modern research,this study aims to discuss the effect of bitter Chinese herbs depend on T2Rs as the starting point,so as to provide a new research direction for clinical treatment of pulmonary diseases such as bronchial asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

In the past decades,numerous chemical analysis studies have identified numerous compounds in tobacco smoke,and the number is increasing,as of 2013,9582 compounds have been identified in tobacco smoke,including nicotine,tobacco smoke-specific nitrosamines,benzo[alpha]pyrene and other substances,as well as cotinine,4-(methylnitrosamine)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanol and other products that are metabolized in the body.The products of metabolic transformation,such as cotinine and 4-(methylnitrosamine)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanol,can target the heart,lungs and other organs,inducing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease,coronary heart disease,lung cancer,esophageal cancer and other types of cancer.Chinese medicine's understanding of"toxicity"originates from the Nei Jing,which believes that"poisonous evil"can be an external pathogenic factor,but can also cause the five organs to lose harmony and produce phlegm and stagnation and other pathological products that accumulate into internal toxicity.The modern medical understanding of tobacco smoke toxic substances and their metabolites is quite consistent with the understanding of"external toxicity"and"internal toxicity"in Chinese medicine,so the author intends to explore the main components and pathogenic mechanisms of tobacco smoke harmful substances and their metabolites.To clarify the etiological characteristics and pathogenic transformation characteristics of"internal"and"external"tobacco smoke toxicity,so as to explore the modernization of"tobacco smoke toxicity"and the combination of tobacco smoke pathogenesis and TCM theory for TCM.Theoretical foundation is laid.

Objective To investigate the relationship between serum high mobility group protein B1(HMGB1),C1q/TNF-associated protein 3(CTRP3)and pain degree and lumbar function.Methods A total of 145 patients with lumbar spinal stenosis treated in the hospital from September 2021 to August 2023 were retrospectively selected as the study objects,and were divided into single-segment group(89 cases)and multi-segment group(56 cases)according to the number of lumbar spinal stenosis segments.Serum levels of HMGB1 and CTRP3 were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.The clinicopathological features such as pain degree,lumbar function and serum levels of HMGB1 and CTRP3 were compared between the two groups.The correlation of serum HMGB1 and CTRP3 levels with pain degree and lumbar function were ana-lyzed,and the factors influencing the number of segments of lumbar stenosis were analyzed by multivariate Logistic regression.The diagnostic value of serum HMGB1 and CTRP3 levels on lumbar function of patients was analyzed by receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve.Results Visual analogue scale(VAS)score and serum HMGB1 level in multi-segment group were higher than those in single-segment group(P＜0.05),Japanese Orthopaedic Association(JOA)score and serum CTRP3 level were lower than those in single-seg-ment group(P＜0.05).Serum HMGB1 level was negatively correlated with CTRP3 and JOA score in pa-tients with lumbar spinal stenosis(r=-0.544,-0.616,P＜0.001),and positively correlated with VAS score(r=0.453,P＜0.001).The serum CTRP3 level was negatively correlated with VAS score(r=-0.550,P＜0.001),and positively correlated with JOA score(r=0.619,P＜0.001).JOA score was nega-tively correlated with VAS score(r=-0.485,P＜0.001).Multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that JOA score and serum CTRP3 level were protective factors for multi-segmental stenosis(P＜0.05),VAS score and serum HMGB1 level were risk factors for multi-segmental stenosis(P＜0.05).The analysis of ROC curve showed that serum HMGB1 and CTRP3 levels could be used as diagnostic indexes of lumbar spinal function in patients with lumbar spinal stenosis,and the combined diagnosis effect was better(P＜0.05).Conclusion Serum levels of HMGB1 and CTRP3 are closely related to pain degree and lumbar function in pa-tients with lumbar spinal stenosis.The combination of the two indexes can be used for the clinical diagnosis of lumbar function in patients with lumbar spinal stenosis.

Objective:To observe the clinical efficacy of percutaneous minimally invasive bridging combined internal fixation system (BCFS) in the treatment of clavicle fractures through a prospective study.Methods:One hundred and sixty-four patients with clavicle fractures admitted to Fengfeng General Hospital of North China Medical Group from June 2019 to June 2022 were included as the study subjects. They were randomly divided into study group and control group with 82 cases each using random number table method. The control group was treated with reconstruction steel plate internal fixation surgery, while the study group was treated with percutaneous minimally invasive BCFS surgery. Compare surgical related indicators, degree of pain, shoulder joint function, complications and treatment outcomes.Results:The intraoperative blood loss in the study group was less than that in the control group: (43.81 ± 5.29) ml vs. (58.79 ± 6.85) ml, and the surgical time and fracture healing time were shorter than those in the control group: (52.06 ± 7.74) min vs. (67.24 ± 8.28) min, (12.42 ± 2.36) weeks vs. (14.50 ± 3.08) weeks, with statistically significant differences ( P<0.05). There was no statistical difference in the hospital stay between two groups ( P>0.05). The visual analog scale (VAS) scores of both groups at 12 and 24 h after surgery were lower than before surgery. The VAS scores at 12 and 24 h after surgery in study group were lower than those in control group: (4.15 ± 0.69) points vs. (5.68 ± 0.82) points and (2.95 ± 0.62) points vs. (3.46 ± 0.73) points, with statistical significances ( P<0.05). After 6 months of surgery, the shoulder joint function indexes were higher than before surgery, pain degree: (10.87 ± 3.25) points vs. (4.15 ± 1.08) points, (10.52 ± 3.19) points vs. (4.09 ± 1.12) points, and the shoulder joint range of motion: (31.24 ± 5.13) points vs. (16.83 ± 3.39) points, (30.52 ± 4.85) points vs. (17.21 ± 3.47) points, daily life: (16.06 ± 3.12) points vs. (7.86 ± 1.15) points, (15.73 ± 3.58) points vs. (6.94 ± 1.17) points, muscle strength: (20.67 ± 2.62) points to (8.78 ± 2.34) points, (21.06 ± 3.48) points to (9.04 ± 3.07) points, and total scores: (78.84 ± 7.16) points vs. (37.62 ± 5.09) points, (77.83 ± 6.04) points vs. (37.28 ± 6.11) points, the differences were statistically significant ( P<0.05), while there were no statistically significant differences in pain level, shoulder joint range of motion, daily life, muscle strength and total score at 6 months after surgery between the two groups ( P>0.05). After 6 months of surgery, the incidence of complications in the study group was lower than that in the control group: 4.88% (4/82) vs. 14.64% (12/82), and the difference was statistically significant ( P<0.05). After 6 months of surgery, the overall excellent and good rate in the observation group was better than that in the control group: 98.78% (81/82) vs. 89.02% (73/82), with a statistically significant difference ( P<0.05). Conclusions:The percutaneous minimally invasive BCFS surgery has a significant therapeutic effect on clavicle fractures, which is beneficial for reducing intraoperative bleeding, shortening surgical time, promoting fracture healing, reducing postoperative pain, improving shoulder joint function, and reducing the incidence of complications. It has more advantages in the treatment of clavicle fractures.

BACKGROUNDRegulatory T-cells (Treg) play key roles in suppressing cell-mediated immunity in cancer patients. Little is known about perioperative Treg fluctuations in nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Video-assisted thoracoscopic (VATS) lobectomy, as a minimal invasive procedure for treating NSCLC, may have relatively less impact on the patient's immune system. This study aimed to observe perioperative dynamics of circulating Treg and natural killer (NK) cell levels in NSCLC patients who underwent major lobectomy by VATS or thoracotomy.

METHODSTotally, 98 consecutive patients with stage I NSCLC were recruited and assigned into VATS or thoracotomy groups. Peripheral blood samples were taken on 1-day prior to operation, postoperative days (PODs) 1, 3, 7, 30, and 90. Circulating Treg and NK cell counts were assayed by flow cytometry, defined as CD4 + CD25 + CD127 low cells in CD4 + lymphocytes and CD56 + 16 + CD3- cells within CD45 + leukocytes respectively. With SPSS software version 21.0 (SPSS Inc., USA), differences between VATS and thoracotomy groups were determined by one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), and differences between preoperative baseline and PODs in each group were evaluated by one-way ANOVA Dunnett t-test.

RESULTSIn both groups, postoperative Treg percentages were lower than preoperative status. No statistical difference was found between VATS and thoracotomy groups on PODs 1, 3, 7, and 30. On POD 90, Treg percentage in VATS group was significantly lower than in thoracotomy group (5.26 ± 2.75 vs. 6.99 ± 3.60, P = 0.012). However, a higher level of NK was found on all PODs except on POD 90 in VATS group, comparing to thoracotomy group.

CONCLUSIONSLower Treg level on POD 90 and higher NK levels on PODs 1, 3, 7, 30 in VATS group might imply better preserved cell-mediated immune function in NSCLC patients, than those in thoracotomy group.

Aged ; Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung ; immunology ; surgery ; Female ; Flow Cytometry ; Humans ; Killer Cells, Natural ; immunology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Postoperative Period ; T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory ; immunology ; Thoracic Surgery, Video-Assisted ; methods ; Thoracotomy ; methods

Objective To assess scoliosis in adolescence and adults by three-dimensional ( 3-D ) ultrasound imaging . Methods A commercial available ultrasound instrument with a magnetic sensor system was used for long distance 3-D ultrasound imaging .Specific phantoms were imaged to evaluate the precision of this imaging system . Twenty healthy adults and 20 patients with scoliosis were imaged by 3-D ultrasonography and radiography . The deformity angle of the patients with scoliosis was measured on the reconstructed coronal plane ( C plane) of 3-D ultrasound imaging . The relevance between the curvature measured by ultrasound and the Cobb angles originated by radiography were evaluated . Results There was no significant difference between the angles of the phantom measured by the 3-D ultrasound imaging system and that measured by an angle gauge ( P = 0 .479) . The transverse process ,vertebral arch and acoustic shadow of the central spinous process of spines in healthy adults can be displayed on the reconstructed C plane by 3-D ultrasound imaging . The morphology of scoliosis in all the twenty patients can be observed on the reconstructed C planes ( multi-layers) by 3-D ultrasound imaging ,which accorded well with that observed on radiograph . In 9 patients ,part of the spinal segment could not be totally displayed on one single coronal plane and no additional measurement was carried out . In 11 patients ,all the segments of the spine could be clearly displayed on a single coronal plane and the curvature of scoliosis was then measured . There were no significant differences between the angle measured on 3-D ultrasound imaging and the Cobb angle measured on radiograph( P =0 .974) and the two measurement methods have high correlation( r =0 .991 , P <0 .0001) . Conclusions The commercial available 3-D ultrasound imaging system applied in this study offers a viable method to assess scoliosis in adolescence and adults in a reliable and radiation-free manner .

Objective:To discuss the value of real-time three-dimensional speckle tracking imaging(RT3D-STI) in the evaluation of the left atrial (LA) volume and function in end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients with different dialysis methods.Methods:Eighty-three ESRD patients who were treated in the Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University from February to August 2019 were enrolled and divided into non-dialysis group ( n=25), hemodialysis group (HD group, n=31) and peritoneal dialysis group (PD group, n=27). And 30 healthy volunteers were enrolled as control group. Subsequently, the LA volume indexs including LA maximal volume index (LAVImax), LA minimal volume index (LAVImin) and LA presystolic volume index (LAVIpre), the LA function parameters including LA ejection fraction (LAEF), LA passive ejection fraction(LApEF) and LA active ejection fraction (LAaEF) and the LA global strain parameters including global longitudinal strain(GLS), global radial strain(GRS) and global circumferential strain(GCS) were obtained by RT3D-STI. The differences of the parameters among these groups were compared and the correlations between the myocardial strain parameters and dialysis time were analyzed. Results:①The LAVImax, LAVImin and LAVIpre of the non-dialysis group, PD group and HD group were higher than those in the control group, while the LAEF, LApEF, GLS, GRS and GCS were lower than those in the control group(all P<0.05); the LAVImin of the PD group as well as the LAVImin, LAVIpre and LAVImax of HD group were higher than those of non-dialysis group, while the LAEF, LApEF, GLS, GCS of the PD group and the LAEF, LApEF, GLS, GRS, GCS of HD group were lower than those of non-dialysis group (all P<0.05). The LAVImax, LAVImin, LAVIpre of HD group were higher than those of PD group, while the LAEF, LApEF, GLS, GRS and GCS of HD group were lower than those of PD group (all P<0.05). ②The GLS and GCS in PD group were negatively correlated with the dialysis time( r=-0.670, -0.596, all P<0.05), and the GLS, GCS and GRS in HD group were negatively correlated with the dialysis time( r=-0.624, -0.631, -0.551, all P<0.05). Conclusions:RT3D-STI can assess the LA volume and function of ESRD patients with different dialysis methods effectively and can further evaluate the prognosis of patients and guide timely clinical intervention.

Objective:To observe the effect of enriched rehabilitation on dual-task gait disorder after a transient ischemic attack (TIA) and explore its mechanism.Methods:Sixty TIA patients were randomly divided into a control group and an observation group, each of 30. Another 30 healthy counterparts were selected to form a healthy control group. All of the TIA patients were given routine medication to lower blood pressure and improve brain function, while the observation group was additionally provided with enriched rehabilitation training for 12 weeks. Before and after the intervention, the gait and cognitive functioning of all of the subjects were quantified and their event-related potentials (P300s) and serum brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels were also measured.Results:Before the treatment there were significant differences between the TIA groups and healthy controls in all of the measurements, but there were no significant differences between the control and observation groups. After the treatment, no significant improvement was observed in any of the control group′s results, but there was significant improvement in the observation group′s gait parameters, cognitive functioning, average serum BDNF concentration and in the average latency and amplitude of its P300 signals.Conclusions:Enriched rehabilitation can improve the gait of TIA patients, perhaps through increasing their serum BDNF concentration and improving their cognition.