PURPOSE: Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) of the left and right lower extremities was treated in the same way, but the left and right extremities received different levels of attention. This study aimed to investigate the differences between the right and left lower extremity deep vein thrombosis (LEDVT). METHODS: Clinical characteristics of LEDVT patients from July 2020 to June 2022 were retrospectively analyzed to compare the incidence of LEDVT on different limbs, demographics, predisposing factors, and anatomical characteristics. The exclusion criteria were bilateral LEDVT and recurrent thrombosis. Measured data was analyzed using independent samples t-test or Mann-Whitney test. Count data were analyzed by Chi-square test. A p < 0.05 was considered a statistically significant difference. RESULTS: There were 478 patients included in this study and the ratio of left to right LEDVT on the left and right limbs was 3.16:1 (363:115). Left LEDVT predominantly affected female, with the major aged > 50 years (50 - 60 years: 16.80%; > 60 years: 57.30%). The primary predisposing factor was iliac vein compression syndrome, with iliofemoral thrombosis being the main type. Male patients with LEDVT on the right limb were predominant and the age of onset was usually ≤ 60 years (52.17%). The main predisposing factor was recent surgery or trauma (< 30 days) and femoropopliteal thrombosis was the main type. In more detail, the left iliac vein was compressed mainly in the proximal segment, and the right iliac vein was compressed mainly in the intermediate and distal segments. Recent surgery or trauma to the locomotor system and genitourinary system often induced LEDVT. CONCLUSION The incidence of LEDVT on the left is significantly higher than that on the right. LEDVT on different sides has different characteristics, which is crucial for prevention and diagnosis in the relevant population so there are also differences in treatment of the affected limbs.
Humans ; Venous Thrombosis/etiology* ; Male ; Female ; Middle Aged ; Lower Extremity/blood supply* ; Retrospective Studies ; Adult ; Aged ; Age Factors ; Sex Factors ; Risk Factors ; Acute Disease ; Incidence ; Aged, 80 and over ; Young Adult ; Adolescent

Targeting drug delivery systems mediated by nanoparticles has shown great potential in the diagnosis and treatment of cancer. However, influences of different tumor progressions on the accumulation of nanoparticles, especially the ligand-modified active targeting nanoparticles are seldom exploited. In this work, the accumulation and penetration of RGD-modified gold nanoparticles (active AuNPs) with different sizes were investigated in orthotopic breast cancer with different tumor progressions. The results showed that the smallest active AuNPs had better accumulation and permeation effects in early tumor tissues with the relatively looser extracellular matrix, larger gaps, lower interstitial fluid pressure, and less receptor expression, which was due to size effects. However, the larger active AuNPs had better accumulation and penetration effects in late tumor tissues with highly expressed target receptors integrin α _v β ₃ because of the multivalent interactions between larger active nanoparticles and integrin α _v β ₃. In the midterm, tumor accumulation of active AuNPs was equally influenced by size effects and multivalent interactions. Therefore, RGD-modified nanoparticles with sizes of 7 and 90 nm accumulated more in tumors. This study will guide a rational design of active targeting nanoparticles for enhancing the diagnosis and treatment of tumors based on their progressions.

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a highly malignant solid tumor of the digestive system, characterized by rapid progression and difficulties of early diagnosis. Five-year survival rate of the patients is less than 9%. With the acceleration of global population aging and lifestyle change, the incidence of PDAC has been increasing annually. Currently, surgical treatment and chemotherapy remain the standard treatment options for PDAC patients. Early symptoms of PDAC are so undetectable that most patients miss the optimal opportunity for radical surgical resection. Even among those who undergo surgery, the high recurrence rate remains a major problem. PDAC is known for its unique tumor microenvironment. The cellular and non-cellular components in the tumor microenvironment account for as much as 90% of the tumor stroma, presenting many potential targets for PDAC therapy. Activated pancreatic stellate cells within PDAC tissue express specific proteins and secrete various cytokines and metabolites, which directly contribute to the proliferation, invasion, and metastasis of PDAC cells. These elements are critical in extracellular matrix production, connective tissue hyperplasia, immune tolerance, and drug resistance. Immune cells, such as macrophages and neutrophils, exert immunosuppressive and tumor-promoting roles in PDAC progression. The extracellular matrix, which serve as a natural physical barrier, induces interstitial hypertension and reduces blood supply, thereby hindering the delivery of drugs to the tumor. Additionally, it helps the metastasis and differentiation of PDAC cells, reducing the efficacy of clinical chemotherapy and immunotherapy. Although chemotherapeutic agents like gemcitabine have been used in the clinical treatment of PDAC for more than 20 years, the curative effect is obstructed by their poor stability in the bloodstream, low cellular uptake, and poor targeting. While small-molecule inhibitors targeting mutations such as KRAS^G12C, BRCA, and NTRK fusion have shown great potential for molecular targeted treatments and gene therapies of PDAC, their broader application is limited by side effects and restricted scope of patients. The advancement of nanotechnology brings new strategies for PDAC treatment. By virtue of unique size characteristics and actual versatility, different drug-delivery nanosystems contribute to overcome the dense stromal barrier, prolong the circulation time of therapeutics and realize precise PDAC treatment by targeted drug delivery. Clinical nanodrugs such as albumin-bound paclitaxel (nab-paclitaxel) and irinotecan liposome greatly improve the pharmacokinetics of conventional chemotherapeutics and promote drug accumulation inside the tumor, thereby are applying to the first-line treatment of PDAC. It is noteworthy that none nanodrugs with active targeting design have been approved for clinical treatment yet, though many are in clinical trials. In this review, we discuss promising targeting strategies based on different nanodrug delivery systems for treatment of PDAC. One major nanostrategy focuses on the tumor cell targeting and its applications in chemotherapy, molecular targeting therapy, gene therapy, and immunotherapy of PDAC. Another nanostrategy targets the tumor microenvironment, which highlights the nanosystems specifically regulating pancreatic stellate cells, immune cells and the extracellular matrix. Recent progress of developing new nanotheraputics for breakthrough in the fight of PDAC are elaborated in this review. We also provide our perspectives on the challenges and opportunities in the field.

Objective To investigate the clinical characteristics and influencing factors of moderate-to-severe pulmonary ventilation dysfunction in occupational pneumoconiosis (hereinafter referred to as "pneumoconiosis") patients complicated with pulmonary tuberculosis. Methods A total of 136 male pneumoconiosis patients complicated with pulmonary tuberculosis suffering different degrees of pulmonary ventilation dysfunction were selected as the study subjects using the judgmental sampling method. Patients were divided into mild dysfunction and moderate-to-severe dysfunction groups based on the degrees of pulmonary ventilation dysfunction. Clinical data from patients of these two groups were collected, and influencing factors of pulmonary ventilation dysfunction were analyzed. Results The prevalence of mild dysfunction and moderate-to-severe dysfunction among the study subjects was 39.0% and 61.0%, respectively. The proportion of patients with moderate-to-severe pulmonary ventilation dysfunction increased with the progression of pneumoconiosis (P<0.05). Patients in moderate-to-severe dysfunction group had higher rates of dyspnea, elevated C-reactive protein, coexisting chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and a history of lung infections within the past two years compared with those in the mild dysfunction group (all P<0.05). The result of multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that the degree of pneumoconiosis, complicated with COPD, and a history of lung infections within the past two years were risk factors for moderate-to-severe pulmonary ventilation dysfunction (all P<0.05). Specifically, higher degree of pneumoconiosis was associated with a greater proportion of moderate-to-severe dysfunction, and patients complicated with COPD or had a history of lung infections within the past two years were more likely to experience severe pulmonary ventilation dysfunction. Conclusion The degree of pneumoconiosis, complicated with COPD, and a history of lung infections within the past two years are influencing factors of moderate-to-severe pulmonary ventilation dysfunction in patients with pneumoconiosis combined with pulmonary tuberculosis. Early detection of pneumoconiosis progression, timely diagnosis of COPD and lung infections, and appropriate treatment such as antifibrotic agents, inhaled bronchodilators, and anti-infective therapies are recommended.

Objective To investigate the inhibitory effect of mannose on proliferation and apoptosis of HeLa cells of cervical cancer and its effect on Wnt/β-catenin pathway.Methods Cervical cancer HeLa cells were cultured in vitro and divided into control group(without any treatment)and low,medium and high dose experimental groups(cells treated with 5,10 and 25 mmol·L-1 mannose).Cell counting kit 8(CCK-8)and flow cytometry were used to detect cell proliferation and apoptosis.The B cell lymphoma-2(Bcl-2),p21,Bcl-2 associated X protein(Bax)and Wnt/β-catenin pathway-related proteins were detected by Western blot.Results The cell inhibition rates of control group and low,medium,high dose experimental groups were(0.00±0.13)％,(11.25±3.42)％,(23.78±3.41)％and(35.98±4.52)％;apoptosis rates were(4.59±0.35)％,(11.45±1.32)％,(18.47±2.01)％and(25.69±2.43)％;p21 protein expression were 0.21±0.03,0.34±0.04,0.51±0.06 and 0.69±0.05;the Bcl-2 protein expression were 0.89±0.06,0.67±0.04,0.52±0.05 and 0.35±0.06;Bax protein expression were 0.34±0.05,0.49±0.06,0.65±0.07 and 0.81±0.06;Wnt1 protein expression were 0.74±0.07,0.60±0.05,0.46±0.05 and 0.32±0.04;β-catenin protein expression were 0.80±0.06,0.65±0.05,0.47±0.06 and 0.29±0.05.The above indexes showed statistically significant differences between control group and low,medium and high dose experimental groups(all P＜0.05).Conclusion Mannose inhibits proliferation and induces apoptosis of HeLa cells of cervical cancer,and the mechanism may be related to the inhibition of Wnt/β-catenin pathway.

BACKGROUND:The researchers noted that upon embedding clinical-grade catgut and polyglycolide-co-lactide threads in the normal human"Zusanli"(ST 36)acupoint,the local area displayed temporal and inflammatory stimulatory effects,resulting in thread differentiation.However,the underlying mechanism behind thread involvement remains to be studied. OBJECTIVE:To investigate the expression levels of calcitonin gene-related peptide,5-hydroxytryptamine,leukotriene B4,and bradykinin at point"Zusanli"(ST 36)in rats after embedding catgut and polyglycolide-co-lactide respectively at different time points. METHODS:110 male SD rats were divided into a blank group(10 rats),a catgut embedding group(50 rats),and a polyglycolide-co-lactide embedding group(50 rats)according to the random number table method.In the blank group,no thread was embedded.In catgut embedding group and the polyglycolide-co-lactide embedding group,the thread was embedded in the left side of the ST36 acupoint once.Tissue was collected from the left side of the ST36 acupoint area 8 hours,3,7,14,and 21 days after embedding.The expression levels of calcitonin gene-related peptide and 5-hydroxytryptamine were detected by immunohistochemistry,and the contents of leukotriene B4 and bradykinin were detected by ELISA. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)Compared with the blank group,the expression of calcitonin gene-related peptide,5-hydroxytryptamine,bradykinin,and leukotriene B4 was significantly increased in the 8 hours,3,7,14,and 21 days of the catgut embedding group(P<0.05);calcitonin gene-related peptide expression was significantly increased in 8 hours,3,7,and 14 days in the polyglycolide-co-lactide embedding group(P<0.05);the expression of bradykinin was significantly increased in 8 hours,3,and 7 days(P<0.05);the expression of leukotriene B4 was significantly increased at 8 hours,3,7,14,and 21 days(P<0.05).(2)Compared with the polyglycolide-co-lactide embedding group,the expression of calcitonin gene-related peptide was increased at 7,14,21 days after thread embedding(P<0.05),and the expression of 5-hydroxytryptamine was increased at 8 hours,3,7,14 and 21 days after thread embedding(P<0.05);contents of leukotriene B4 and bradykinin in tissues were increased at 8 hours,3,14 and 21 days after embedding(P<0.05)in the catgut embedding group.(3)The results show that calcitonin gene-related peptide,5-hydroxytryptamine,leukotriene B4,and bradykinin in the acupoint region alter after catgut embedding in the ST36 of rats,as well as the alteration of calcitonin gene-related peptide,leukotriene B4,and bradykinin is found in the acupoint region after polyglycolide-co-lactide embedding in rats,which may be one of the mechanisms involved in the local time sensitive stimulus effects caused by embedding threads at acupoints.Moreover,there is a discernible difference between the two thread types.

Objective To evaluate the efficacy of XELOX regimen as neoadjuvant chemotherapy in the treatment of stage Ⅱ and Ⅲ colon cancer.Methods The clinical data of 50 patients with clinical stage Ⅱ(T4)Ⅲ colon cancer who underwent laparoscopic radical resection at general surgery department of our hospital from January 1,2012 to January 1,2021 were retrospectively analyzed.Patients were divided into neoadjuvant chemotherapy group(NACT)and adjuvant chemotherapy group(ACT)according to whether they received neoadjuvant chemotherapy with XELOX regimen.The general clinical data,adverse reactions of chemotherapy,surgical complications,operation time,intraoperative blood loss,hospitalization time,hospitalization cost,negative conversion rate of tumor markers,tumor remission rate,tumor downstaging rate,tumor response grade after chemotherapy,postoperative disease-free survival curve,and overall survival curve were retrospectively analyzed and compared among the groups.Results There were no significant differences in operative complications,postoperative exhaust time and hospital stay between NACT group and ACT group(P＞0.05).The adverse reactions of chemotherapy,the negative conversion rate of postoperative CEA and CA19-9,the duration of operation,the amount of bleeding,and the hospitalization cost in NACT group were significantly better than those in ACT group(P＜0.05).In terms of DFS and OS survival curves,with the extension of time,the decline of the NACT survival curve was smaller than that of the ACT group,and there was a significant difference in DFS survival curve(P＜0.05),but no significant difference in OS survival curve(P＞0.05).Conclusion XELOX neoadjuvant chemotherapy is safe and effective in the treatment of stage Ⅱ(T4)and stage Ⅲcolon cancer.

Ginger mainly contains two main categories of volatile and non-volatile components,of which the non-volatile gingerol is a general term for pungent substances in ginger,mainly containing gingerols,shogaols and other components,with a wide range of pharmacological effects.By reviewing the 2020 edition of the Pharmacopoeia of the People's Republic of China and related literature in Chinese databases such as CNKI and Wanfang,it was found that the use of the Chinese names of gingerols and shogaols was confusing,which caused certain troubles to readers and obstacles to academic exchanges.According to the naming principles of Chinese medicinal extracts,it is suggested that gingersols,6-gingerol,8-gingerol and 10-gingerol should be uniformly named as gingerols(姜酚类),6-gingerol(6-姜酚),8-gingerol(8-姜酚)and 10-gingerol(10-姜酚),respectively,and shogaols and 6-shogaol should be uniformly named as shogaols(姜烯酚类)and 6-shogaols(6-姜烯酚).The standardized use of the Chinese names of gingerols and shogaols will facilitate in-depth research and academic exchange on ginger,dried ginger,baked ginger and other ginger herbal medicines.

Objective To investigate the role of PSMA4 in the prognosis,diagnosis and immune infiltration of lung adenocarcinoma(LUAD),and explore its underlying mechanism.Methods The expression profiles and clinical data of LUAD patients were sourced from the Cancer Genome Atlas(TCGA)database.The expression level of PSMA4 in LUAD tissues(n=539)and normal tissues(n=59)were compared using the Wilcoxon rank-sum test.The expression levels of PSMA4 in LUAD tissues and normal tissues were validated by analyzing the GSE40791 and GSE10072 LUAD datasets obtained from the Gene Expression Omnibus(GEO)database.In addition,tumor and adjacent non-cancerous tissues were collected from 10 LU AD undergoing lung biopsy by fiberoptic bronchoscopy in Second Affiliated Hospital of Army Medical University from January to December 2023.The PSMA4 expression in above samples was further verified using RT-qPCR.RT-qPCR was performed to detect the expression of PSMA4 in lung cancer cells and normal lung epithelial cells.Functional enrichment analysis and immune cell infiltration analysis were conducted on the cells with high and low expression of PSMA4.Cox regression analysis and Kaplan-Meier(KM)survival analysis were used to determine the diagnostic and prognostic value of PSMA4 for LUAD,and a nomogram was constructed to predict the overall survival rate at different time points.Results The analysis of TCGA datasets,GSE40791,and GSE10072 LUAD data revealed that PSMA4 expression was significantly higher in LUAD tissues than in normal tissues(P＜0.01).RT-qPCR further confirmed that the expression of PSMA4 was obviously elevated in LUAD tissues and lung cancer cells than adjacent non-cancerous tissues and normal lung epithelial cells(P＜0.01).High PSMA4 expression could be regarded as a marker for LUAD diagnosis and poor prognosis,and was associated with reduced proportions of Tem cells,TFH cells,B cells,NK cells,Tcm cells,and mast cells in the tumor microenvironment.Conclusion PSMA4 presents significant diagnostic performance for LUAD,and is closely associated with the prognosis and immune infiltration of this malignancy.

Objective To evaluate the efficacy and adverse reactions of BRAF inhibitor vermorafenib on the treat-ment of refractory craniopharyngioma carrying BRAF-V600E mutation.Methods Clinical data of two patients with refractory craniopharyngiomas(CP)were recorded and reviewed.The patients were followed up for 3-5 years.Lit-erature on CPs receiving BRAF or BRAF/MEK therapy was reviewed.Results 1)Papillary CP progressed after multiple operations and radiotherapy in two patients.Further treatments were very difficult.2)The presence of BRAF-V600E mutation in the tumor was confirmed,and vermorafenib was administered for 6.5-7.5 months.Tumor volumes remarkably shrank by 95%-99%.No tumor relapse was observed during the follow-up of 3-5 years after discontinuation of vemurafenib.3)The main adverse reaction was rash,which was dose dependent.4)Litera-ture review showed the volume shrank by 50%-100%in 33/34 tumors during BRAF or BRAF/MEK inhibitor therapy.Conclusions BRAF inhibitor vemurafenib is effective in treating refractory craniopharyngioma carrying BRAF-V600E mutation with endurable side effects,which may bring some changes to the management of CP in future.