Background/Aims: Natural killer (NK) cell function is generally considered dampened in chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection; however, the NK cell pool exhibits phenotypic and functional heterogeneity, and the antibody--mediated effect of NK cells remains less characterized. This study evaluated the dynamic changes in antibody-mediated NK cell responses and the involvement of distinct NK subsets across disease stages and during antiviral treatment. Methods: A T-cell receptor-like antibody specific for the HBV core 18–27 peptide (cTCRL-Ab) was used to determine the antibody-mediated effect of NK cells, and an array of NK cell surface markers were analyzed in cross-sectional and longitudinal cohorts of patients with chronic HBV infection. Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) was performed to identify the heterogeneity of NK subsets. Results: The cTCRL-Ab enabled the detection of NK cell cytolytic activity and IFNγ production. Notably, cTCRL-Ab-mediated NK cell responses were compromised in chronically HBV-infected patients, particularly in those receiving pegylated interferon-α (Peg-IFNα), which was associated with the downregulation of CD16 expression. Correspondingly, Peg-IFNα inhibited cTCRL-Ab-mediated NK cell function by reducing CD16 expression in vitro. scRNA-seq revealed that CD16 downregulation occurred mainly within a dysfunctional CD16hi NK subset exhibiting exhaustion properties. In contrast, an activated CD16hiNK subpopulation (CX3CR1⁺KLRC2–CD16hi) with high cytotoxicity was enriched in patients who experienced favorable treatment responses. Furthermore, the intrahepatic CX3CR1+KLRC2–CD16hi subset tended to exhibit functional restoration in HBsAg-loss individuals. Conclusions Our data contribute to the understanding of antibody-mediated responses of NK cells in chronic HBV infection, and highlight a previously unappreciated functional CX3CR1+KLRC2–CD16hiNK subset as a potential therapeutic target.

Objective:To summarize the clinical characteristics of elderly patients with stage Ⅰ diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) and analyze the factors associated with prognosis.Methods:A case series study was conducted by retrospectively collecting clinical data from patients aged over 60 years with newly diagnosed stage Ⅰ DLBCL across 20 medical centers in Jiangsu Province, China, between June 2010 and April 2023. The involved site, classification and treatment plan were summarized. The primary endpoints were progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS). Statistical analyses were performed using the Kaplan-Meier method, and Cox regression model.Results:The study included 255 patients with a median age of 69 years, of whom 130 (51.0%) were male, 66 (25.9%) were aged ≥75 years and 26 (10.1%) had a high Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) score of ≥2. Extranodal involvement was observed in 163 (63.9%) patients, with the stomach (37.4%, 61/163), intestine (19.0%, 31/163), testes (11.0%, 18/163), and breast (7.4%, 12/163) being the most frequently affected sites. The non-germinal center B-cell (non-GCB) subtype was prevalent in 63.7% of patients (142/223), with no significant difference between the nodal and extranodal groups ( P=0.681). Furthermore, 73.9% (184/249) and 11.7% (29/249) of patients received the R-CHOP (rituximab, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, prednisone) and R-miniCHOP regimen, respectively. The overall 3-year PFS rate was 81.5%, and the 3-year OS rate was 85.6%. Patients aged ≥75 years ( HR=2.910, 95% CI 1.565-5.408, P=0.001) and/or with a CCI score ≥2 ( HR=2.324, 95% CI 1.141-4.732, P=0.020) had a significantly poorer PFS. Incorporating age ≥75 years and CCI score ≥2 into the stage-modified international prognostic index (sm-IPI) can better stratify the prognosis of elderly patients with stage Ⅰ DLBCL. The 3-year PFS rate was 48.7% in the high-risk group versus 85.7% in the low-risk group ( P<0.001). Conclusions:Our findings show that the elderly patients with stage Ⅰ DLBCL were predominantly characterized by extranodal involvement (particularly in the stomach and intestinal tract) and non-GCB subtype. Age ≥75 years and CCI ≥2 were identified as independent prognostic factors. The newly established sm-IPI-75-CCI incorporating these factors demonstrated superior prognostic discrimination compared to conventional risk assessment systems.

Objective:To assess the presence of chemotherapy-induced abnormal myocardial perfusion using SPECT myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) in patients with malignant hematologic diseases before hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT), and to explore its predictive value for mid-to-long-term mortality risk after transplantation.Methods:From March 2016 to August 2022, 139 patients with malignant hematologic diseases (80 males, 59 females; age (45.7±13.0) years) who underwent resting MPI to assess the presence of chemotherapy-induced abnormal myocardial perfusion before HSCT at the First People′s Hospital of Changzhou were prospectively included. Baseline-data were collected and patients were followed up for mid-to-long-term (≥100d) adverse outcomes after transplantation. Overall survival (OS) of each patient was recorded. The χ2 test and independent-sample t test were used for data analysis. Cox regression analysis was utilized to identify independent risk factors affecting OS. Kaplan-Meier method and log-rank test were used for survival analysis. Results:The median follow-up time of 139 patients was 41.6(19.5, 65.6) months, with all-cause mortality of 28.8%(40/139), and the cardiovascular mortality was 42.5%(17/40). The prior cardiotoxic therapies rate (anthracycline dose ≥250mg/m 2) was higher in the death group compared to that in the survival group (15.0% (6/40) vs 5.1% (5/99); χ2=3.87, P=0.049). Pre-transplant abnormal myocardial perfusion rate was also higher in the death group compared to that in the survival group (55.0%(22/40) vs 22.2%(22/99); χ2=15.19, P<0.001). But pre-transplant left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) was lower in the death group compared to that in the survival group ((60.4±5.2)% vs (62.9±3.9)%; t=-3.07, P=0.003). Cox multivariate regression analysis showed that the abnormal myocardial perfusion indicated by MPI before transplantation was an independent risk factor affecting OS after HSCT in patients with malignant hematologic diseases (hazard rate ( HR)=2.70, 95% CI: 1.33-5.46, P=0.006). Kaplan-Meier analysis showed the 1-, 2-, 5-year OS rates of patients with the abnormal myocardial perfusion and the normal myocardial perfusion were 73.5%, 69.1%, 49.2% and 94.6%, 89.9%, 81.6%, respectively, with significant difference ( χ2=17.01, P<0.001). Conclusions:Patients with abnormal myocardial perfusion detected by MPI before HSCT for malignant hematologic diseases have a poorer prognosis, characterized by lower post-transplantation OS rates. The utilization of MPI for assessing abnormal myocardial perfusion before transplantation in patients with malignant hematologic diseases can aid in predicting the mid-to-long-term mortality risk after transplantation.

Objective:To investigate the efficacy and safety of bendamustine combined with anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody in the first-line treatment of older patients with indolent B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (B-iNHL) .Methods:The clinical data of 159 patients with B-iNHL enrolled in 16 hospitals from Jiangsu Cooperative Lymphoma Group from December 1, 2019, to April 20, 2024, were analyzed for regimen efficacy and safety. Bendamustine plus rituximab (BR) and bendamustine plus obinutuzumab (BG) were administered to 139 (87.4% ) and 20 (12.6% ) patients, respectively.Results:Among the 159 patients, 101 (63.5% ) were male and 58 (36.5% ) were female, with a median age of 69 years (range: 60–84). Efficacy could be assessed in 138 (86.8% ) patients. The efficacy assessment demonstrated that the overall response rate was 92.0% with complete and partial remissions in 75 (54.3% ) and 52 (37.7% ) cases, respectively. With a median follow-up of 24 months (range: 4–64), the progression-free survival rate was (87.5 ± 3.0) % and the overall survival rate was (83.2 ± 3.3) %. Of the 27 patients who died, 6 (22.2% ) died due to disease progression. The mean applied dose of bendamustine per cycle was 73.0 (50.8–89.7) mg/m 2 per day, administered on days 1 and 2. Adverse events of grade 3 or higher were reported in 53 (33.3% ) patients, with infection (30 cases,18.9% ) and neutropenia (24 cases, 15.1% ) demonstrating the highest incidence. Conclusion:Bendamustine combined with anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody demonstrated good efficacy and is well-tolerated in the first-line treatment of elderly patients with B-iNHL.

Objective:To analyze the status of social support and the influencing factors of support utilization among general practitioners.Methods:An investigation on the status of social support and the influencing factors of support utilization was conducted among general practitioners (GPs) from 6 communities in Shanghai Minhang District selected by simple sampling method in February 2023. The investigation included a questionnaire survey containing basic information and intervention measures (emotional support, information support, tool support); and assessments of the Social Support Rate Scale (SSRS), Perceived Social Support Scale, General Self-Efficacy Scale, Quality of Work Life Scale, Trait Coping Style Scale, and Psychological Resilience Scale. The association of social support status with various characteristics of GPs and their perceived social support and trait coping style was analyzed, and the influencing factors of social support utilization were determined.Results:A total of 184 questionnaires were distributed and 184 valid questionnaires were collected, with an effective recovery rate of 100.00%. Among the 184 participants, 55 (29.89%) had a general level of social support, and 129 (70.11%) were satisfied with their social support. The total score of SSRS was (37.49±8.41), with the objective support dimension scoring (9.67±3.42), subjective support scoring (20.04±4.52), and support utilization scoring (7.77±2.09). Univariate analysis showed significant differences in social support levels among respondents with different marital status, number of children, emotional support, informational support, instrumental support, positive coping, negative coping, psychological resilience, compassion fatigue, general self-efficacy, and perceived social support status ( P<0.05). Multiple linear regression analysis indicated that marital status, family support, professional skills, positive coping, and negative coping were independent influencing factors of social support. Among these factors, being married, having family care support, professional titles and skills and positive coping had a positive impact on social support levels, while negative coping had a negative impact ( P<0.05). Further stepwise multiple linear regression analysis showed that friend support, positive coping and family care were positive influencing factors for support utilization, while negative coping was a negative influencing factor ( P<0.05). Conclusion:The levels of social support among GPs in Minghang district of Shanghai are relatively high. Marital status, family support, professional title and skills and positive coping are positive factors for social support; and friend support, positive coping and family support are positive factors for support utilization.

Objective:To evaluate the effectiveness of family doctor contracting services in alleviating healthcare access barriers of community residents.Methods:From January to February, 2025, a cross-sectional study was conducted among 1 188 patients attending general practice clinics in Shanghai Minhang District selected by combination of stratified sampling and simple random sampling. Patients were divided into two groups, 560 with family doctor contracting were designed as a study group and 628 without contrcting as a control group. The questionnaire based on the Andersen Health Behavior Model was used for the survey, and binary logistic regression was employed to analyze the influencing factors of family doctor contracting. The intervention effect of family doctor contract services on the healthcare access barriers of residents was analyzed by Medical Treatment Barrier Questionnaire with the counterfactual framework and the propensity score matching (PSM) method.Results:Among 1 188 participants, there were 472 males (39.73%) and 716 females (60.27%) aged 18-79 years. Multivariate analysis showed that factors influencing family doctor contracting were: predisposing factors including gender ( OR=1.593, 95% CI:1.007-2.518) and age ( OR=1.875, 95% CI:1.394-2.520); enabling factors including main source of medical care ( OR=0.407, 95% CI:0.252-0.658); need factors including household registration ( OR=4.060, 95% CI:2.554-6.453) and frequency of medical visits ( OR=5.947, 95% CI:4.321-8.184)(all P<0.05). The overall score of healthcare access barriers in the two groups was (76.42±26.87); that for study group was (55.35±12.54), and for the contract group was (95.22±21.81) ( P<0.05); the study group had better scores than contract group in 6 dimensions: unawareness, unavailability, inaccessibility, non-adaptability, unaffordability and unacceptability ( t=-27.97, -23.91, -28.45, -18.45, -13.15, -48.61, -38.02, all P<0.05). After propensity score matching (PSM), the study group had better scores in 4 dimensions: unawareness, inaccessibility, non-adaptability and unacceptability ( t=-4.22, -1.97, -2.70, -3.28, -3.21, all P<0.05). Conclusion:Family doctor contract services have a significant effect on improving residents′ subjective perception of access barriers to healthcare, especially in terms of information perception, resource accessibility, process adaptation, and psychological acceptance.

Objective:To analyze the status of social support and the influencing factors of support utilization among general practitioners.Methods:An investigation on the status of social support and the influencing factors of support utilization was conducted among general practitioners (GPs) from 6 communities in Shanghai Minhang District selected by simple sampling method in February 2023. The investigation included a questionnaire survey containing basic information and intervention measures (emotional support, information support, tool support); and assessments of the Social Support Rate Scale (SSRS), Perceived Social Support Scale, General Self-Efficacy Scale, Quality of Work Life Scale, Trait Coping Style Scale, and Psychological Resilience Scale. The association of social support status with various characteristics of GPs and their perceived social support and trait coping style was analyzed, and the influencing factors of social support utilization were determined.Results:A total of 184 questionnaires were distributed and 184 valid questionnaires were collected, with an effective recovery rate of 100.00%. Among the 184 participants, 55 (29.89%) had a general level of social support, and 129 (70.11%) were satisfied with their social support. The total score of SSRS was (37.49±8.41), with the objective support dimension scoring (9.67±3.42), subjective support scoring (20.04±4.52), and support utilization scoring (7.77±2.09). Univariate analysis showed significant differences in social support levels among respondents with different marital status, number of children, emotional support, informational support, instrumental support, positive coping, negative coping, psychological resilience, compassion fatigue, general self-efficacy, and perceived social support status ( P<0.05). Multiple linear regression analysis indicated that marital status, family support, professional skills, positive coping, and negative coping were independent influencing factors of social support. Among these factors, being married, having family care support, professional titles and skills and positive coping had a positive impact on social support levels, while negative coping had a negative impact ( P<0.05). Further stepwise multiple linear regression analysis showed that friend support, positive coping and family care were positive influencing factors for support utilization, while negative coping was a negative influencing factor ( P<0.05). Conclusion:The levels of social support among GPs in Minghang district of Shanghai are relatively high. Marital status, family support, professional title and skills and positive coping are positive factors for social support; and friend support, positive coping and family support are positive factors for support utilization.

Objective:To evaluate the effectiveness of family doctor contracting services in alleviating healthcare access barriers of community residents.Methods:From January to February, 2025, a cross-sectional study was conducted among 1 188 patients attending general practice clinics in Shanghai Minhang District selected by combination of stratified sampling and simple random sampling. Patients were divided into two groups, 560 with family doctor contracting were designed as a study group and 628 without contrcting as a control group. The questionnaire based on the Andersen Health Behavior Model was used for the survey, and binary logistic regression was employed to analyze the influencing factors of family doctor contracting. The intervention effect of family doctor contract services on the healthcare access barriers of residents was analyzed by Medical Treatment Barrier Questionnaire with the counterfactual framework and the propensity score matching (PSM) method.Results:Among 1 188 participants, there were 472 males (39.73%) and 716 females (60.27%) aged 18-79 years. Multivariate analysis showed that factors influencing family doctor contracting were: predisposing factors including gender ( OR=1.593, 95% CI:1.007-2.518) and age ( OR=1.875, 95% CI:1.394-2.520); enabling factors including main source of medical care ( OR=0.407, 95% CI:0.252-0.658); need factors including household registration ( OR=4.060, 95% CI:2.554-6.453) and frequency of medical visits ( OR=5.947, 95% CI:4.321-8.184)(all P<0.05). The overall score of healthcare access barriers in the two groups was (76.42±26.87); that for study group was (55.35±12.54), and for the contract group was (95.22±21.81) ( P<0.05); the study group had better scores than contract group in 6 dimensions: unawareness, unavailability, inaccessibility, non-adaptability, unaffordability and unacceptability ( t=-27.97, -23.91, -28.45, -18.45, -13.15, -48.61, -38.02, all P<0.05). After propensity score matching (PSM), the study group had better scores in 4 dimensions: unawareness, inaccessibility, non-adaptability and unacceptability ( t=-4.22, -1.97, -2.70, -3.28, -3.21, all P<0.05). Conclusion:Family doctor contract services have a significant effect on improving residents′ subjective perception of access barriers to healthcare, especially in terms of information perception, resource accessibility, process adaptation, and psychological acceptance.

Objective:To assess the presence of chemotherapy-induced abnormal myocardial perfusion using SPECT myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) in patients with malignant hematologic diseases before hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT), and to explore its predictive value for mid-to-long-term mortality risk after transplantation.Methods:From March 2016 to August 2022, 139 patients with malignant hematologic diseases (80 males, 59 females; age (45.7±13.0) years) who underwent resting MPI to assess the presence of chemotherapy-induced abnormal myocardial perfusion before HSCT at the First People′s Hospital of Changzhou were prospectively included. Baseline-data were collected and patients were followed up for mid-to-long-term (≥100d) adverse outcomes after transplantation. Overall survival (OS) of each patient was recorded. The χ2 test and independent-sample t test were used for data analysis. Cox regression analysis was utilized to identify independent risk factors affecting OS. Kaplan-Meier method and log-rank test were used for survival analysis. Results:The median follow-up time of 139 patients was 41.6(19.5, 65.6) months, with all-cause mortality of 28.8%(40/139), and the cardiovascular mortality was 42.5%(17/40). The prior cardiotoxic therapies rate (anthracycline dose ≥250mg/m 2) was higher in the death group compared to that in the survival group (15.0% (6/40) vs 5.1% (5/99); χ2=3.87, P=0.049). Pre-transplant abnormal myocardial perfusion rate was also higher in the death group compared to that in the survival group (55.0%(22/40) vs 22.2%(22/99); χ2=15.19, P<0.001). But pre-transplant left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) was lower in the death group compared to that in the survival group ((60.4±5.2)% vs (62.9±3.9)%; t=-3.07, P=0.003). Cox multivariate regression analysis showed that the abnormal myocardial perfusion indicated by MPI before transplantation was an independent risk factor affecting OS after HSCT in patients with malignant hematologic diseases (hazard rate ( HR)=2.70, 95% CI: 1.33-5.46, P=0.006). Kaplan-Meier analysis showed the 1-, 2-, 5-year OS rates of patients with the abnormal myocardial perfusion and the normal myocardial perfusion were 73.5%, 69.1%, 49.2% and 94.6%, 89.9%, 81.6%, respectively, with significant difference ( χ2=17.01, P<0.001). Conclusions:Patients with abnormal myocardial perfusion detected by MPI before HSCT for malignant hematologic diseases have a poorer prognosis, characterized by lower post-transplantation OS rates. The utilization of MPI for assessing abnormal myocardial perfusion before transplantation in patients with malignant hematologic diseases can aid in predicting the mid-to-long-term mortality risk after transplantation.

Objective:To investigate the efficacy and safety of bendamustine combined with anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody in the first-line treatment of older patients with indolent B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (B-iNHL) .Methods:The clinical data of 159 patients with B-iNHL enrolled in 16 hospitals from Jiangsu Cooperative Lymphoma Group from December 1, 2019, to April 20, 2024, were analyzed for regimen efficacy and safety. Bendamustine plus rituximab (BR) and bendamustine plus obinutuzumab (BG) were administered to 139 (87.4% ) and 20 (12.6% ) patients, respectively.Results:Among the 159 patients, 101 (63.5% ) were male and 58 (36.5% ) were female, with a median age of 69 years (range: 60–84). Efficacy could be assessed in 138 (86.8% ) patients. The efficacy assessment demonstrated that the overall response rate was 92.0% with complete and partial remissions in 75 (54.3% ) and 52 (37.7% ) cases, respectively. With a median follow-up of 24 months (range: 4–64), the progression-free survival rate was (87.5 ± 3.0) % and the overall survival rate was (83.2 ± 3.3) %. Of the 27 patients who died, 6 (22.2% ) died due to disease progression. The mean applied dose of bendamustine per cycle was 73.0 (50.8–89.7) mg/m 2 per day, administered on days 1 and 2. Adverse events of grade 3 or higher were reported in 53 (33.3% ) patients, with infection (30 cases,18.9% ) and neutropenia (24 cases, 15.1% ) demonstrating the highest incidence. Conclusion:Bendamustine combined with anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody demonstrated good efficacy and is well-tolerated in the first-line treatment of elderly patients with B-iNHL.