Objective:To investigate the protective effect of quercetin against LasB-induced apoptosis, inflammation, and oxidative stress in THP-1 macrophages, providing valuable insights into the use of quercetin as a virulence inhibitor for Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection treatment. Methods:This was an experimental study. The experimental strain was the standard strain. The LasB protein was obtained utilizing protein recombination technology, while the enzyme activity of LasB was assessed through both the Elastin Congo red assay and fluorescently labelled elastin assay. The LasB-induced THP-1 macrophage infection model was established, and quercetin was utilized for intervention. Cell viability was evaluated via CCK-8 assay, while cell morphology was observed under an inverted microscope. Apoptosis detection involved employing both TUNEL and Annexin V/PI staining. The mRNA expression and protein levels of inflammatory cytokines and COX-2 were determined by RT-qPCR and ELISA respectively. Intracellular ROS levels were quantified using the DCFH-DA fluorescent probe. One-way ANOVA was used for statistical analysis, and Tukey test was used for multiple comparisons. Results:The pLasB with a molecular weight of 33 000 and acceptable enzymatic activity (purity>90%), was successfully obtained. THP-1 macrophages treated with pLasB at a concentration of 100 μg/ml presented significantly decreased viability and integrity rate when compared with the normal control group. Additionally, pLasB promoted apoptosis, up-regulated the levels of inflammatory cytokines IL-1α, IL-1β, IL-6, IL-10, IL-12, and TNF-α, increased intracellular ROS fluorescence intensity, and elevated COX-2 mRNA expression level. Furthermore, the viability of THP-1 macrophages was significantly enhanced under quercetin intervention at concentrations of 2.5 μmol/L, 5 μmol/L and 10 μmol/L. The apoptosis rate exhibited a significant reduction from 18.32%±0.17% to 13.17%±0.20%, 11.43%±0.06% and 7.74%±0.04%, respectively ( F=1 679, P<0.05). There was a notable down-regulation of pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-1α, IL-1β, IL-6, IL-12 and TNF-α while the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10 showed a significant up-regulation. Both intracellular ROS fluorescence intensity ( F=86.92, P<0.05) and COX-2 level ( F=24.62, P<0.05) demonstrated a substantial decrease. Conclusion:Quercetin demonstrates significant efficacy in inhibiting LasB-induced apoptosis, inflammation, and oxidative stress in THP-1 macrophages, which highlights immense potential as a potent virulence inhibitor of Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

Objective To analyze the characteristics of adult anomalous aortic origin of coronary artery(AAOCA)and the causes of missed diagnosis by transthoracic echocardiography(TTE)so as to facilitate TTE in diagnosing adult AAOCA.Methods A total of 37 adult patients with AAOCA diagnosed by non-invasive coronary CT angiography(CCTA)and/or invasive coronary angiography(ICA)were selected as research samples at some hospital from January 2019 to December 2022,and their clinical symptoms and the findings of 12-lead electrocardiogram,cardiac enzymes and TTE were summarized;the patients were typed according to the site of origin of coronary artery anomalies,and the causes for the missed diagnosis of TTE were eplored.Chi-square test was used to compare the differences in TTE missed diagnoses.Results Of the 37 patients,31 ones had no or only mild symptoms;most ones had negative results in terms of 12-lead electrocardiography,cardiac enzymes,changes in the size of the cardiac chambers,segmental ventricular wall motion abnormalities and left ventricular systolic function.The patients with anomalous origin of the right coronary artery from left sinus(ARCA-L)gained the largest proportion of 59.45％(22/37);21 patients were diagnosed with anomalous origin of coronary artery arising from the opposite sinus(ACAOS)in the two examinations of TTE,of whom there were 19 cases of ARCA-L,and the detection rate of ACAOS by TTE was 87.5％;all the 13 patients origins in branches and high-grade openings were missed by TTE.The detection rate of ACAOS by TTE was significantly higher than that of coronary artery anomalies originating in branches and in high openings,and the difference was statistically significant(21/24 vs 0/13,P＜0.001).Conclusion Most adult AAOCA patients lack specificity in symptoms and related examination results.TTE has a high detection rate of ACAOS,while it is easy to miss the diagnosis of coronary artery anomalies originating from branches and high openings.Ultrasonographers have to identify false negative AAOCA by multi-section and multi-angle scanning and color Doppler flow imaging in order to reduce the rate of missed diagnosis.[Chinese Medical Equipment Journal,2024,45(1):71-75]

Objective To analyze the setup errors during proton and heavy ion therapy for head and head neck tumor patients fixed by thermoplastic film combined with styrofoam.Methods Totally 20 patients undergoing proton and heavy ion therapy at some hospital from January to December 2018 were selected retrospectively,of whom 10 ones had head tumors with clinical targets located in the head and the other 10 cases had head and neck tumors with clinical targets distributed in the head and neck.All the 20 patients were fixed with thermoplastic film combined with styrofoam.The head and neck images of the patients acquired after image guidance were aligned with the CT localization-based digitally reconstructed radiograph images,and the setup errors at six-dimensional directions(left-right translation,head-foot translation,forward-backward translation,isocentric rotation,pitch rotation and transverse-roll rotation)were recorded in the first five and the last five times of radiotherapy treatment.The data were processed by using the SPSS 23.0 statistical software and EXCEL.Results There were no significant differences between the head tumor patients in the setup errors at the six directions during the first and last five times of radiotherapy(P＞0.05).The head and neck tumor patients did not have obvious differences in the setup errors at the the directions of left-right translation,forward-backward translation,isocentric rotation and transverse-roll rotation(P＞0.05),while did at the directions of head-foot translation and pitch rotation(P＜0.05).The head and head neck tumor patients with the fixation by thermoplastic film combined with styrofoam had their setup errors at the six directions meet clinical requirements after calibration by the six-dimensional treatment table.Conclusion The fixation mode by thermoplastic film and styrofoam behaves well to enhance the setup repeatability for head tumor patients at the six-dimensional directions,while not so well for head neck tumor patients at the directions of head-foot translation and pitch rotation.Proper measures have to be taken to decrease the setup errors during proton and heavy ion therapy for head and head neck tumor patients.[Chinese Medical Equipment Journal,2024,45(7):56-61]

Objective:To investigate the value of implantable cardiac monitor (ICM) in the diagnosis and treatment of patients over 60 years old with unexplained syncope.Methods:This was a multi-center, prospective cohort study. Between June 2018 and April 2021, patients over the age of 60 with unexplained syncope at Beijing Hospital, Fuwai Hospital, Beijing Anzhen Hospital and Puren Hospital were enrolled. Patients were divided into 2 groups based on their decision to receive ICM implantation (implantation group and conventional follow-up group). The endpoint was the recurrence of syncope and cardiogenic syncope as determined by positive cardiac arrhythmia events recorded at the ICM or diagnosed during routine follow-up. Kaplan‐Meier survival analysis was used to compare the differences of cumulative diagnostic rate between the 2 groups. A multivariate Cox regression analysis was performed to determine independent predictors of diagnosis of cardiogenic syncope in patients with unexplained syncope.Results:A total of 198 patients with unexplained syncope, aged (72.9±8.25) years, were followed for 558.0 (296.0,877.0) d, including 98 males (49.5%). There were 100 (50.5%) patients in the implantation group and 98 (49.5%) in the conventional follow-up group. Compared with conventional follow-up group, patients in the implantation group were older, more likely to have comorbidities, had a higher proportion of first degree atrioventricular block indicated by baseline electrocardiogram, and had a lower body mass index (all P<0.05). During the follow-up period, positive cardiac arrhythmia events were recorded in 58 (58.0%) patients in the ICM group. The diagnosis rate (42.0% (42/100) vs. 4.1% (4/98), P<0.001) and the intervention rate (37.0% (37/100) vs. 2.0% (2/98), P<0.001) of cardiogenic syncope in the implantation group were higher than those in the conventional follow-up group (all P<0.001). Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showed that the cumulative diagnostic rate of cardiogenic syncope was significantly higher in the implantation group than in the traditional follow-up group ( HR=11.66, 95% CI 6.49-20.98, log-rank P<0.001). Multivariate analysis indicated that ICM implantation, previous atrial fibrillation, diabetes mellitus or first degree atrioventricular block in baseline electrocardiogram were independent predictors for cardiogenic syncope (all P<0.05). Conclusions:ICM implantation improves the diagnosis and intervention rates in patients with unexplained syncope, and increases diagnostic efficiency in patients with unexplained syncope.

Objective:To investigate the expression of HBB in anaplastic thyroid cancer(ATC)cells and its regulatory effect on proliferation,invasion,migration and apoptosis of ATC cells and its potential mechanism.Methods:The expression of HBB in thyroid cancer and paracancerous tissues was analyzed through TIMER database.The correlation between the expression of HBB and the overall survival time of thyroid cancer patients was analyzed through KM-plotter database.The expression of HBB mRNA in ATC cells was detected by RT-qPCR.The HBB knockout or overexpression plasmid was transfected into ATC cells.The expression of HBB protein was detected by Western blot.The proliferation activity was detected by CCK-8 assay.The migration and invasion ability was detected by Transwell assay.The apoptosis was detected by flow cytometry.The expression of β-catenin was detected by Western blot.Results:The expression of HBB was low in thyroid cancer,and the overall survival time of patients with high expression of HBB was high.The expression of HBB protein was down-regulated in ATC cells.Knockout of HBB increased the ability of proliferation,migration and invasion of ATC cells and the expression of β-catenin protein,and inhibited apoptosis.However,overexpression of HBB decreased the ability of proliferation,migration and invasion of ATC cells and the expression of β-catenin protein,and promoted apoptosis.Conclusions:High HBB expression is associated with higher overall survival in patients with thyroid cancer.It may inhibit the proliferation,migration and invasion of ATC cells and promote apoptosis through Wnt/β-catenin signal pathway.

Objective:To investigate the protective effect of quercetin against LasB-induced apoptosis, inflammation, and oxidative stress in THP-1 macrophages, providing valuable insights into the use of quercetin as a virulence inhibitor for Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection treatment. Methods:This was an experimental study. The experimental strain was the standard strain. The LasB protein was obtained utilizing protein recombination technology, while the enzyme activity of LasB was assessed through both the Elastin Congo red assay and fluorescently labelled elastin assay. The LasB-induced THP-1 macrophage infection model was established, and quercetin was utilized for intervention. Cell viability was evaluated via CCK-8 assay, while cell morphology was observed under an inverted microscope. Apoptosis detection involved employing both TUNEL and Annexin V/PI staining. The mRNA expression and protein levels of inflammatory cytokines and COX-2 were determined by RT-qPCR and ELISA respectively. Intracellular ROS levels were quantified using the DCFH-DA fluorescent probe. One-way ANOVA was used for statistical analysis, and Tukey test was used for multiple comparisons. Results:The pLasB with a molecular weight of 33 000 and acceptable enzymatic activity (purity>90%), was successfully obtained. THP-1 macrophages treated with pLasB at a concentration of 100 μg/ml presented significantly decreased viability and integrity rate when compared with the normal control group. Additionally, pLasB promoted apoptosis, up-regulated the levels of inflammatory cytokines IL-1α, IL-1β, IL-6, IL-10, IL-12, and TNF-α, increased intracellular ROS fluorescence intensity, and elevated COX-2 mRNA expression level. Furthermore, the viability of THP-1 macrophages was significantly enhanced under quercetin intervention at concentrations of 2.5 μmol/L, 5 μmol/L and 10 μmol/L. The apoptosis rate exhibited a significant reduction from 18.32%±0.17% to 13.17%±0.20%, 11.43%±0.06% and 7.74%±0.04%, respectively ( F=1 679, P<0.05). There was a notable down-regulation of pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-1α, IL-1β, IL-6, IL-12 and TNF-α while the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10 showed a significant up-regulation. Both intracellular ROS fluorescence intensity ( F=86.92, P<0.05) and COX-2 level ( F=24.62, P<0.05) demonstrated a substantial decrease. Conclusion:Quercetin demonstrates significant efficacy in inhibiting LasB-induced apoptosis, inflammation, and oxidative stress in THP-1 macrophages, which highlights immense potential as a potent virulence inhibitor of Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

Objective:To explore the clinical phenotype and genetic characteristics of children with childhood absence epilepsy caused by KMT2E gene variants. Methods:The clinical data of 1 case of KMT2E gene variant-associated childhood absence epilepsy admitted to the Department of Pediatric Neurology of Linyi People′s Hospital in January 2023 were collected and followed up, and the child and her family were genetically examined by using whole-exome sequencing and Sanger sequencing, and the pathogenicity of mutation loci was analyzed. The Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man, Human Gene Mutation Database, PubMed database, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, and Wanfang database were consulted with the search term " KMT2E" to summarize the clinical phenotype and genetics of the children with epilepsy associated with KMT2E gene variant. Results:The child is a female, presented with typical absence seizures at the age of 3 years and 8 months, with normal development, video electroencephalogram showing widespread spikes and slow waves around 3 Hz accompanied by typical absence seizures. Seizures decreased after valproic acid was applied at full dosage, and were controlled after combination with lamotrigine. Her clinical diagnosis of childhood absence epilepsy was made. The results of whole-exome sequencing showed that the child had a de novo frameshift variant c.2404dup (p.Arg802Lysfs *8) in the KMT2E gene (NM_182931.3), which had not yet been reported domestically or internationally. The c.2404dup variant was interpreted as a pathogenic variant (PVS1+PS2_Supporting+PM2_Supporting) according to the American Society of Medical Genetics and Genomics variant classification criteria and guidelines. Her parents, older brother and younger sister did not carry the variant and had a normal clinical phenotype. A total of 22 patients with epilepsy associated with KMT2E gene variants were retrieved (including this case, a total of 23 cases), including 10 females and 13 males. All of them were autosomal dominant inheritance, with 20 minor variations, including 8 frameshift variants, 7 missense variants, 2 splicing variants, 2 nonsense variants, 1 synonymous variant, and the remaining 3 cases had large fragment deletions (including 2 cases of the whole gene). Clinical manifestations mainly included epileptic seizures (5 cases of absence seizures, 7 cases of focal seizures with or without secondary tonic-clonic seizures, 9 cases of tonic-clonic seizures, 1 case of spasm seizures, 1 case of myoclonic seizures, tonic seizures, and atonic seizures, 3 cases of epileptic status, and 5 cases of refractory epilepsy, with the onset age of epilepsy ranging from neonatal to adolescence), mental retardation (21/23 cases, 4 mild, 5 moderate, and 5 severe), peculiar facial features (11/23), and autism (3/23), etc. Conclusion:KMT2E gene variant-associated epilepsy is an autosomal dominant disorder with a wide spectrum of clinical phenotypes, and the novel variant c.2404dup in the KMT2E gene identified in the present study can lead to childhood absence epilepsy, which enriches the spectrum of mutations and clinical phenotype of the KMT2E gene.

Objective We aimed to compare the efficacy and prognosis of percutaneous coronary intervention(PCI)in complex and high-risk patients with coronary heart disease(CHD)treated with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation(ECMO)combined with intra-aortic balloon pump(IABP)assistance,and explore the application value of combined use of mechanical circulatory support(MCS)devices in complex PCI.Methods A total of patients who met the inclusion criteria and underwent selective PCI supported by MCS at the Department of Cardiology,the First Affiliated Hospital of the Air Force Medical University from January 2018 to December 2022 were continuously enrolled.According to the mechanical circulatory support method,the patients were divided into ECMO+IABP group and IABP group.Clinical characteristics,angiographic features,in-hospital outcomes,and complications were collected.The intra-hospital outcomes and major adverse cardiovascular events(MACE)at one month and one year after the procedure were observed.The differences and independent risk factors between the two groups in the above indicators were analyzed.Results A total of 218 patients undergoing elective PCI were included,of which 66 patients were in the ECMO+IABP group and 152 patients were in the IABP group.The baseline characteristics of the two groups of patients were generally comparable,but the ECMO+IABP group had more complex lesion characteristics.The proportion of patients with atrial fibrillation(6.1％vs.0.7％,P=0.030),left main disease(43.9％vs.27.0％,P=0.018),triple vessel disease(90.9％vs.75.5％,P=0.009),and RCA chronic total occlusion disease(60.6％vs.35.5％,P＜0.001)was higher in the ECMO+IABP group compared to the IABP group.The proportion of patients with previous PCI history was higher in the IABP group(32.9％vs.16.7％,P=0.014).There was no statistically significant difference in the incidence of in-hospital complications between the two groups(P=0.176),but the incidence of hypotension after PCI was higher in the ECMO+IABP group(19.7％vs.9.2％,P=0.031).The rates of 1-month MACE(4.5％vs.2.6％,P=0.435)and 1-year MACE(7.6％vs.7.9％,P=0.936)were comparable between the two groups.Multivariate analysis showed that in-hospital cardiac arrest(OR 7.17,95％CI 1.27-40.38,P=0.025)and after procedure hypotension(OR 3.60,95％CI 1.10-11.83,P=0.035)were independent risk factors for the occurrence of 1-year MACE.Conclusions Combination use of ECMO+IABP support can provide complex and high-risk coronary heart disease patients with an opportunity to achieve coronary artery revascularization through PCI,and achieve satisfactory long-term prognosis.

Objective:To summarize and analyze the composition characteristics and problems of basic medical insurance policies for traditional Chinese medicine in various provinces of China,providing reference for optimizing and improving subsequent basic medical insurance policies for traditional Chinese medicine.Methods:Based on the perspective of policy instrument,combined with two dimensions of policy instrument types and policy development process,the content analysis method is used to quantitatively analyze the content of the basic medical insurance policies for traditional Chinese medicine released at the provincial level from 2011 to 2023.Results:The 93 included policy documents were coded and sorted,with a cumulative total of 487 codes.From the perspective of policy instrument dimensions,subcategories of policy instruments involve diverse themes,but there are differences in the level of attention paid to each policy tool.From the perspective of policy development process,each link also presents a discrete trend,indicating a dominant feature of policy planning and implementation.Conclusion:To improve the basic medical insurance policy system of traditional Chinese medicine in China,it is necessary to optimize the combination of policy instrument and construct a coordinated and balanced policy instrument framework;Overall planning of the development process of traditional Chinese medicine medical insurance policies,highlighting the unique advantages of traditional Chinese medicine;Emphasize policy synergy between dimensions and strengthen the implementation of traditional Chinese medicine medical insurance policies.