BACKGROUND: Meningeal metastasis (MM) is a form of malignant metastasis where tumor cells spread from the primary site to the pia mater, dura mater, arachnoid, subarachnoid space, and other cerebrospinal fluid compartments. Lung cancer is one of the most common malignant tumor types with MM. MM not only signifies that the lung cancer has progressed to an advanced stage but also leads to a range of severe clinical symptoms due to meningeal involvement. Currently, the risk factors associated with the development of MM are not fully elucidated. The aim of this study was to investigate the risk factors for MM in patients with lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) who underwent non-surgical interventions, in order to identify LUAD patients at high risk for MM. METHODS: This retrospective study analyzed the clinical data of patients diagnosed with LUAD at the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University from January 2020 to July 2024. Missing data were imputed using multiple imputation methods, and risk factors were identified through LASSO, univariate, and multivariate Logistic regression analyses. RESULTS: A total of 170 patients with LUAD were included in this study and divided into two groups: 87 patients with MM and 83 patients without MM. Univariate and multivariate Logistic regression analyses revealed that younger age at diagnosis (P=0.004), presence of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) L858R gene mutation (P=0.008), and concurrent liver metastasis at baseline (P=0.004) were independent risk factors for developing MM in LUAD patients who did not undergo surgical intervention. Conversely, higher baseline globulin levels (P=0.039) and the presence of the anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) gene mutation (P=0.040) were associated with a reduced risk of MM development. CONCLUSIONS Age at diagnosis, EGFR L858R mutation status, ALK gene mutation status, concurrent liver metastasis, globulin levels at baseline were significantly associated with the risk of developing MM in patients with LUAD patients who did not undergo surgical intervention. For patients diagnosed at a younger age, carrying the EGFR L858R mutation, or presenting with baseline liver metastasis, early implementation of tertiary prevention strategies for MM is crucial. Regular monitoring of MM status should be conducted in these high-risk groups.
Humans ; Male ; Adenocarcinoma of Lung/therapy* ; Female ; Middle Aged ; Risk Factors ; Lung Neoplasms/therapy* ; Retrospective Studies ; Aged ; Meningeal Neoplasms/genetics* ; Adult

Objective:To construct a risk prediction and column chart model for venous thromboembolism (VTE) in patients with nephrotic syndrome and provide reference for VTE prevention.Methods:To use the retrospective cohort study design, the nephrotic syndrome patients who were hospitalized in Peking University Third Hospital from January 2018 to December 2022 were selected as the study subjects by convenient sampling method. Using univariate and multivariate Logistic regression analysis to analyze the risk factors for VTE in patients with nephrotic syndrome, establish a risk prediction model, and draw a column chart. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) working curve and Hosmer Lemeshow test were used to verify the predictive performance of the model.Results:Among the 279 collected patients,187 males and 92 females, aged (54.25 ± 16.29) years, 43 cases developed thrombosis, with an incidence rate of 15.4%. The results of univariate analysis showed that different genders, ages, activity ability, alcohol consumption history, use of diuretics, albumin, hematocrit, fibrinolytic products, activated partial thromboplastin, D-dimer quantification and glomerular filtration rate showed differences in the occurrence of VTE in patients with nephrotic syndrome ( χ2=4.22, 4.62, 12.30, Z values were -5.73 to 6.07, t=-2.07,all P<0.05). The results of multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that age, whether diuretics were used, activated partial thromboplastin, D-dimer and glomerular filtration rate were independent influencing factors for VTE ( OR values were 0.913- 3.285, all P<0.05). The above factors were five independent variables to construct a column chart. The area under the ROC curve of the model was 0.810, and the maximum value of the Jordan index was 0.518, the sensitivity was 66.67% and the specificity was 85.15%. The Hosmer-Lemeshow goodness-of-fit test showed that the model fit well ( χ2=12.00, P=0.151). Conclusions:The constructed column chart can personalized predict the risk of thrombosis in patients with nephrotic syndrome and help nursing staff in quickly identifying high-risk patients for thrombosis and taking corresponding intervention measures in a timely manner.

Objective To monitor the susceptibility of clinical isolates to antimicrobial agents in tertiary hospitals in major regions of China in 2022.Methods Clinical isolates from 58 hospitals in China were tested for antimicrobial susceptibility using a unified protocol based on disc diffusion method or automated testing systems.Results were interpreted using the 2022 Clinical &Laboratory Standards Institute(CLSI)breakpoints.Results A total of 318 013 clinical isolates were collected from January 1,2022 to December 31,2022,of which 29.5％were gram-positive and 70.5％were gram-negative.The prevalence of methicillin-resistant strains in Staphylococcus aureus,Staphylococcus epidermidis and other coagulase-negative Staphylococcus species(excluding Staphylococcus pseudintermedius and Staphylococcus schleiferi)was 28.3％,76.7％and 77.9％,respectively.Overall,94.0％of MRSA strains were susceptible to trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole and 90.8％of MRSE strains were susceptible to rifampicin.No vancomycin-resistant strains were found.Enterococcus faecalis showed significantly lower resistance rates to most antimicrobial agents tested than Enterococcus faecium.A few vancomycin-resistant strains were identified in both E.faecalis and E.faecium.The prevalence of penicillin-susceptible Streptococcus pneumoniae was 94.2％in the isolates from children and 95.7％in the isolates from adults.The resistance rate to carbapenems was lower than 13.1％in most Enterobacterales species except for Klebsiella,21.7％-23.1％of which were resistant to carbapenems.Most Enterobacterales isolates were highly susceptible to tigecycline,colistin and polymyxin B,with resistance rates ranging from 0.1％to 13.3％.The prevalence of meropenem-resistant strains decreased from 23.5％in 2019 to 18.0％in 2022 in Pseudomonas aeruginosa,and decreased from 79.0％in 2019 to 72.5％in 2022 in Acinetobacter baumannii.Conclusions The resistance of clinical isolates to the commonly used antimicrobial agents is still increasing in tertiary hospitals.However,the prevalence of important carbapenem-resistant organisms such as carbapenem-resistant K.pneumoniae,P.aeruginosa,and A.baumannii showed a downward trend in recent years.This finding suggests that the strategy of combining antimicrobial resistance surveillance with multidisciplinary concerted action works well in curbing the spread of resistant bacteria.

Purpose To analyze the clinical and CT features of hepatoid adenocarcinoma of the stomach.Materials and Methods A total of 38 patients with hepatoid adenocarcinoma of the stomach from September 2012 to April 2023 in the First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University were retrospectively reviewed,and the clinicopathological data,laboratory examinations,and CT characteristics of the tumor size,morphology,density,border,enhancement pattern,metastasis and invasion were recorded and analyzed.Results Among 38 patients,there were 24 cases with elevated serum alpha-fetoprotein levels and 32 cases with positive immunohistochemical alpha-fetoprotein expression.The maximum diameter was 2.38-11.95 cm in the portal phase,with the median(interquartile range)of 5.200(3.365,7.215)cm.On contrast-enhanced CT scan,there were 23 cases with ulceration,20 cases with internal necrosis,25 cases with peripheral invasion,14 cases with liver metastases,and 5 cases with carcinoma emboli in the portal system.Conclusion Hepatoid adenocarcinoma of the stomach is a rare tumor.Serum alpha-fetoprotein often increases.Size of the tumor is often large on contrast-enhanced CT scan,necrosis,progressive or continuous enhancement,metastasis and invasion of the portal vein are commonly manifested.Understanding these characteristics is helpful to improve the diagnostic level.

italic>α-Conotoxin ArIB[V11L,V16D] is currently the most optimal selective inhibitor of α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) known. In order to explore chemical modification methods and enrich its application in targeting nAChR, this study utilized the linker to covalently connect camptothecin and 7-amino-4-methylcoumarin to the [2,4] disulfide bond of ArIB[V11L,V16D]. Therefore, two peptide-drug conjugates (PDCs), ArIB[V11L,V16D]-5 and ArIB[V11L,V16D]-6, and one fluorescent-labeled peptide, ArIB[V11L,V16D]-7 were constructed. Cytotoxicity evaluation showed that the IC₅₀ values against non-small cell lung cancer cell line A549 of the two PDCs were respectively 1.3 and 4.1 times of camptothecin, indicating slight reduction in activity at the cellular level which was related to the linker structure. Fluorescence spectrum scanning revealed that the excitation and emission wavelength of the fluorescent-labeled peptide were 340 nm and 403 nm respectively, and the fluorescence features of 7-amino-4-methylcoumarin as a marker were retained without fluorescence quenching. This modification strategy laid a solid foundation for the further application of α-conotoxin ArIB[V11L,V16D] in PDCs and fluorescent probes.

Glioblastoma(GBM)is a lethal cancer with limited therapeutic options.Dendritic cell(DC)-based cancer vaccines provide a promising approach for GBM treatment.Clinical studies suggest that other immu-notherapeutic agents may be combined with DC vaccines to further enhance antitumor activity.Here,we report a GBM case with combination immunotherapy consisting of DC vaccines,anti-programmed death-1(anti-PD-1)and poly I:C as well as the chemotherapeutic agent cyclophosphamide that was integrated with standard chemoradiation therapy,and the patient remained disease-free for 69 months.The patient received DC vaccines loaded with multiple forms of tumor antigens,including mRNA-tumor associated antigens(TAA),mRNA-neoantigens,and hypochlorous acid(HOCl)-oxidized tumor lysates.Furthermore,mRNA-TAAAs were modified with a novel TriVac technology that fuses TAAs with a destabilization domain and inserts TAAs into full-length lysosomal associated membrane protein-1 to enhance major histo-compatibility complex(MHC)class Ⅰ and Ⅱ antigen presentation.The treatment consisted of 42 DC cancer vaccine infusions,26 anti-PD-1 antibody nivolumab administrations and 126 poly I:C injections for DC infusions.The patient also received 28 doses of cyclophosphamide for depletion of regulatory T cells.No immunotherapy-related adverse events were observed during the treatment.Robust antitumor CD4+and CD8+T-cell responses were detected.The patient remains free of disease progression.This is the first case report on the combination of the above three agents to treat glioblastoma patients.Our results suggest that integrated combination immunotherapy is safe and feasible for long-term treatment in this patient.A large-scale trial to validate these findings is warranted.

Captopril can have nephrotoxic effects, which are largely attributed to accumulated renin and "escaped" angiotensin II (Ang II). Here we test whether angiotensin converting enzyme-1 (ACE1) inhibition damages kidneys via alteration of renal afferent arteriolar responses to Ang II and inflammatory signaling. C57Bl/6 mice were given vehicle or captopril (60 mg/kg per day) for four weeks. Hypertension was obtained by minipump supplying Ang II (400 ng/kg per min) during the second 2 weeks. We assessed kidney histology by periodic acid-Schiff (PAS) and Masson staining, glomerular filtration rate (GFR) by FITC-labeled inulin clearance, and responses to Ang II assessed in afferent arterioles in vitro. Moreover, arteriolar H₂O₂ and catalase, plasma renin were assayed by commercial kits, and mRNAs of renin receptor, transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) in the renal cortex, mRNAs of angiotensin receptor-1 (AT₁R) and AT₂R in the preglomerular arterioles were detected by RT-qPCR. The results showed that, compared to vehicle, mice given captopril showed lowered blood pressure, reduced GFR, increased plasma renin, renal interstitial fibrosis and tubular epithelial vacuolar degeneration, increased expression of mRNAs of renal TGF-β and COX-2, decreased production of H₂O₂ and increased catalase activity in preglomerular arterioles and enhanced afferent arteriolar Ang II contractions. The latter were blunted by incubation with H₂O₂. The mRNAs of renal microvascular AT₁R and AT₂R remained unaffected by captopril. Ang II-infused mice showed increased blood pressure and reduced afferent arteriolar Ang II responses. Administration of captopril to the Ang II-infused mice normalized blood pressure, but not arteriolar Ang II responses. We conclude that inhibition of ACE1 enhances renal microvascular reactivity to Ang II and may enhance important inflammatory pathways.
Angiotensin II/pharmacology* ; Animals ; Arterioles/metabolism* ; Captopril/pharmacology* ; Hydrogen Peroxide/pharmacology* ; Kidney ; Mice

Objective: To evaluate the safety and efficacy of catheter ablation in patients with new-onset atrial arrhythmia after surgical excision of left atrial myxoma. Methods: Nine patients with new onset atrial arrhythmia and a prior history of left atrial myxoma, who received surgical myxoma excision and catheter ablation between September 2014 and November 2019, were included in the present study. Baseline characteristics, procedural parameters during catheter ablation, severe perioperative adverse events, recurrence rate of arrhythmia and clinical prognosis were analyzed. Kaplan Meier survival analysis was used to define the maintenance rate of sinus rhythm after catheter ablation in this patient cohort. Results: Nine patients were included. The average age was (55.8 ± 9.1) years old (3 male), there were 3 patients (3/9) with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (PAF) and 6 patients (6/9) with atrial flutter or atrial tachycardia (AFL or AT). Ablation was successful in all patients, there were no perioperative complications such as stroke, pericardial effusion, cardiac tamponade, vascular complications or massive hemorrhage. During a mean follow-up time of 40.0 (27.5, 55.5) months, sinus rhythm was maintained in six patients (6/9) after the initial catheter ablation. The overall sinus rhythm maintenance rate was 2/3. In addition, 1 out of the 3 AF patients (1/3) developed recurrence of AF at 3 month after ablation, and 2 out of the 6 AFL or AT patients (2/6) developed late recurrence of AF or AFL (19 months and 29 months after ablation), two out of three patients with recurrent AFs or AFL received repeated catheter ablation and one patient remained sinus rhythm post repeat ablation. Meanwhile, there was no recurrence of atrial myxoma, no death, stroke, acute myocardial infarction and other events during the entire follow-up period. Conclusions: Catheter ablation is a safe and feasible therapeutic option for patients with new-onset atrial arrhythmia after surgical excision of left atrial myxoma.

Objective:To summarize clinical characteristics of and treatment experience with patients with critical illnesses in a dermatological ward.Methods:All patients with serious or life-threatening conditions, who were hospitalized at the dermatological ward of the Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University from July 9, 2011 to December 31, 2020, were collected, and their clinical data were retrospectively analyzed. Demographic characteristics, disease types and proportions, main complications, causes of serious or life-threatening conditions, important treatment measures and outcomes were summarized, and causes of death were also analyzed and discussed.Results:A total of 1 057 patients with critical illnesses were collected, with a male-to-female ratio of 1∶1.11, and 64.81% of them aged 18 to 65 years. The types of diseases mainly included drug eruptions (332 cases) , connective tissue diseases (226 cases) , bullous skin diseases (104 cases) , psoriasis (57 cases) , erythroderma (45 cases) , infectious skin diseases (67 cases) , etc. Among them, psoriasis (39 cases) and erythroderma (32 cases) mostly occurred in males, and connective tissue diseases (168 cases) mostly occurred in females. Common complications mainly involved infections, important organ damage or dysfunction, hypoalbuminemia, and fluid, electrolyte and acid-base imbalances. A total of 94 patients were diagnosed with life-threatening conditions, which were found to be mainly caused by primary skin diseases, hematologic abnormalities, respiratory failure, nervous system abnormalities, renal failure, sepsis, fluid, electrolyte and acid-base imbalances, etc. During the management of critical illnesses, 43 patients were treated with high-dose glucocorticoid pulse therapy, 264 were treated with gamma-globulin pulse therapy, 355 were transfused with other blood products, and 34 received special therapies such as hemoperfusion/immunoadsorption therapy, plasma exchange, dialysis, artificial liver support therapy; 42 patients were transferred to the intensive care unit (ICU) , 12 were transferred to the department of surgery for operations, and 12 were transferred to the department of obstetrics and gynecology for delivery or induction of labor. After treatment, 989 patients (93.57%) achieved improvement and were discharged. A total of 14 patients (1.32%) died, of whom 7 died of secondary sepsis, 2 died of severe pulmonary infections, 2 died of asphyxia caused by respiratory mucosa shedding-induced airway obstruction, the other 3 died of gastrointestinal hemorrhage, cerebral hemorrhage and neuropsychiatric systemic lupus erythematosus, respectively.Conclusions:Critical cases in the dermatological ward mainly suffered from serious skin diseases such as severe drug eruptions, connective tissue diseases and bullous skin diseases, as well as complications such as severe underlying diseases, severe organ dysfunction, sepsis or severe fluid, electrolyte and acid-base imbalances. In terms of treatment, it is of critical significance to make a clear diagnosis and assess the severity of disease as early as possible, monitor and prevent possible complications, and to consult with specialists in relevant disciplines in time.

Objective:To explore whether the regular feedback system in opportunistic screening of colorectal cancer can improve the adenoma detection rate (ADR) of endoscopists.Methods:This study was an observational study, divided into three stages: the baseline stage before intervention (the pre-intervention period), the regular feedback stage (the intervention period) and the post-intervention stage (the post-intervention period). In the pre-intervention period, all patients who underwent opportunistic screening of colorectal cancer in Department of Gastroenterology in Beijing Shijitan Hospital Affiliated to Capital Medical University from June 2017 to May 2018 were reviewed, and the ADR of each endoscopist was calculated. In the intervention period from June 2018 to November 2018, colonoscopies were performed on patients for opportunistic screening of colorectal cancer by endoscopists who participated in the feedback. The ADR of each endoscopist during the previous month was calculated at the beginning of each month and feedback was provided in the form of a report. In the post-intervention period from December 2018 to January 2019, colonoscopies were performed on patients for opportunistic screening of colorectal cancer by endoscopists who participated in the feedback. The ADR of each endoscopist was calculated after the feedback stopped. ADR and polyp detection rate (PDR) of three stages were compared.Results:A total of 1 768, 1 308 and 344 patients were enrolled for opportunistic screening of colorectal cancer during the pre-intervention, the intervention and the post-intervention period respectively. Eight endoscopists participated in the whole process of this study. The total ADR increased from 23.70% (419/1 768) in the pre-intervention period to 33.72% (441/1 308) in the intervention period ( χ2=37.449, P<0.05). Two months after intervention, ADR decreased slightly to 33.14% (114/344), but was still higher compared with before ( χ2=13.602, P<0.05). The total PDR increased from 47.17% (834/1 768) in the pre-intervention period to 52.68% (689/1 308) in the intervention period ( χ2=9.111, P<0.05). Two months after the intervention, PDR increased slightly to 53.78% (185/344), and still higher compared with before ( χ2=5.035, P<0.05). Conclusion:Regular feedback to endoscopists can improve ADR in opportunistic screening of colorectal cancer.