1.Values of non-invasive myocardial work and tissue motion annular displacement in evaluating anthracycline-induced cardiotoxicity
Wei HE ; Hong WEI ; Xiuli SUN ; Ying LIU ; Tao CONG ; Yunlong XIA
Chinese Journal of Clinical Medicine 2026;33(1):74-82
Objective To explore the clinical values of non-invasive myocardial work (MW) and tissue motion annular displacement (TMAD) in evaluation of anthracycline therapy-related cardiac dysfunction in patients with non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Methods A total of 62 patients with non-Hodgkin lymphoma who received standardized chemotherapy based on doxorubicin. Two and three dimensional transthoracic echocardiography, along with two dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography, were performed one day before chemotherapy and at 3, 6, and 9 months after chemotherapy to assess left ventricular ejection fraction, global longitudinal strain (GLS), MW parameters, and TMAD. Logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate the risk factors for cancer therapy-related cardiac dysfunction (CTRCD). The receiver operating characteristic curve was used to assess the diagnostic values of MW- and TMAD-related parameters for CTRCD. Results Compared to baseline, GLS, global work index (GWI), global constructive work (GCW), global work efficiency (GWE), TMAD at midpoint (TMADmid), and TMADmid percentage of left ventricular long-axis diameter (TMADmid%) decreased at 3 months after chemotherapy, while global wasted work (GWW) increased at 6 months after chemotherapy (P<0.05). Logistic regression analysis showed that the relative reduction in GLS and TMADmid% at 3 months after chemotherapy were independent predictors for CTRCD (P<0.05), while MW parameters were not independent predictors for CTRCD. GLS reduction≥10.3% and TMADmid% reduction≥15.8% at 3 months after chemotherapy predicted CTRCD with 0.866 and 0.824 of area under the curve (AUC), 92% and 75% of sensitivity, and 74% and 80% of specificity, respectively. AUC of combination of two indexes improved to 0.905, with 75% of sensitivity and 90% of specificity. Conclusions In non-Hodgkin lymphoma patients, the combination of GLS and TMADmid% is helpful of predicting CTRCD early, TMAD may be a novel diagnostic index for CTRCD, and GLS has superior predictive performance than MW for CTRCD.
2.Development of the "Clinical Ethics" Course for the Eight-Year Clinical Medicine Program: Explorations and Practices by an Interdisciplinary Teaching Team
Jiangli HAN ; Yali CONG ; Qiong BAI ; Shu LI ; Guangkuan XIE ; Tongyan HAN ; Chuan MA ; Ying YAO ; Fei DONG ; Huilin LIU ; Rui WU ; Qinggang GE ; Liang WANG ; Yuxi XIA ; Shixian GU ; Xuan HE ; Ning SHEN
Medical Journal of Peking Union Medical College Hospital 2026;17(5):1223-1229
With the rapid advancement of medical technology and the increasing complexity of clinical environments, competence in clinical ethical decision-making has become an indispensable core competency for exemplary physicians. However, traditional medical ethics education has long been confronted with the persistent challenges of theory-practice dissociation and the disconnect between pedagogical settings and clinical realities. Thus, how to construct a "Clinical Ethics" curriculum that aligns with the objectives of training high-caliber medical professionals has emerged as a critical and challenging issue in current medical education reform. To effectively address this challenge, the Office of Education at Peking University Third Hospital, since 2021, has assembled a multidisciplinary "Clinical Ethics" teaching and management team comprising faculty from Peking University School of Humanities and key clinical specialists from the hospital. In 2022, the "Clinical Ethics" elective course was formally launched for fourth-year students in the eight-year MD program who had completed coursework in "Medical Ethics" and organ-system-based curricula, with the aim of exploring and operationalizing a pre-clinical ethics education model tailored for senior medical students. The course employs a modular instructional design encompassing "theoretical review-case-based deliberation-clinical workshop", which effectively facilitates the deep integration of medical humanities with clinical practice.Following four years of iterative refinement through the "plan-act-observe-reflect" cycle, the course has demonstrated positive outcomes in enhancing students' ethical awareness and decision-making capabilities, and has preliminarily established a sustainable collaborative mechanism among the multidisciplinary faculty team. This article systematically delineates the course development background, pedagogical model and methodological innovations, and the multidisciplinary collaborative framework, alongside reflections and summaries based on implementation outcomes, with the intent of providing references for the future development of "Clinical Ethics" curricula.
3.Autophagy in different subtypes of breast cancer cells mediated by p-AMPK and its molecular mechanisms
Xin-jiao YANG ; Ru-yao HU ; Zhe XIONG ; Di ZOU ; Jie CAI ; Cong-long XIA ; Zhong-bin BAI ; Hong-ye ZHAO
Chinese Pharmacological Bulletin 2025;41(5):898-907
Aim To investigate the effect of p-AMPK activity on autophagy in different subtypes of MDA-MB-231(triple-negative breast cancer cells)and MCF-7(estrogen receptor-positive cells)and its regulatory mechanism.Methods MDA-MB-231 cells were trea-ted with EBSS,Baf-A1,and EBSS+Baf-A1 for four hours,and MCF-7 cells for eight hours.The effects of autophagy on cell proliferation and apoptosis were ob-served,mitochondrial morphology was examined,and the expression of autophagy markers LC3B,P62,LAMP1,TOM20,AMPK,p-AMPK,ULK1,and Bec-lin1/VPS34 proteins was detected.The autophagy pathway was validated by inhibiting AMPK activity.Results Breast cancer cells underwent autophagy af-ter starvation induction(EBSS),with inconsistent au-tophagy processes observed in different subtypes of breast cancer cells.Autophagy inhibited cell prolifera-tion.In MDA-MB-231 cells,autophagy led to an in-crease in p-AMPK levels and a decrease in ULK1 lev-els,initiating autophagy through p-AMPK activation of ULK1.In MCF-7 cells,both p-AMPK and ULK1 levels decreased after autophagy,suggesting that autophagy might not be mediated by p-AMPK activation.Conclu-sions MDA-MB-231 cells primarily initiate autophagy by directly activating ULK1 by p-AMPK,independent of the MTOR pathway.In MCF-7 cells autophagy might be triggered by inhibiting MTOR through AMPK activity or directly activating MTOR through other up-stream factors.Regulating p-AMPK activity based on the autophagy pathways in different cell subtypes could enable more precise targeting and treatment of different types of breast cancer.
4.Research progress on the mechanism of endometrial microenvironment in adverse pregnancy outcomes
Yue GAO ; Zheng GONG ; Jumei SHI ; Saihua MA ; Cong WANG ; Tian XIA
Chinese Journal of Reproduction and Contraception 2025;45(7):741-745
Adverse pregnancy outcome (APO) refers to any pregnancy outcome other than a normal live birth, mainly including preeclampsia, fetal growth restriction, recurrent pregnancy loss, etc., which seriously threaten the health of both the mother and the fetus. Most APOs originate from abnormal uterine endometrial microenvironment before pregnancy. Once a woman confirms pregnancy, intervening in the uterine endometrium at this stage is often too late. The uterine endometrium, as a key site for embryo implantation and development, its abnormal microenvironment can lead to APO. Therefore, in-depth exploration of the relationship between the pre-pregnancy uterine endometrial microenvironment and APO is helpful for clarifying the mechanism of APO occurrence and providing key ideas and methods for early prevention and treatment. This article reviews the latest research on the mechanism of action between uterine endometrial microenvironment and APO, systematically summarizing the research progress and main conclusions in this field from several aspects such as immune imbalance, inflammatory response, abnormal energy metabolism, and senescence of uterine endometrial stromal cells.
5.Effect of Wenyang Ligong Decoction on pregnancy outcomes after transcervical resection of adhesion in patients with intrauterine adhesions: a retrospective cohort study
Zheng GONG ; Rong DONG ; Linlin FAN ; Baojuan WANG ; Yuanyuan SONG ; Yinan ZHANG ; Cong WANG ; Yue GAO ; Jing WANG ; Yongqing HUANG ; Tian XIA
Chinese Journal of Reproduction and Contraception 2025;45(9):873-879
Objective:To investigate the impact of Wenyang Ligong Decoction on pregnancy outcomes after transcervical resection of adhesions (TCRA) in patients with intrauterine adhesions (IUA).Methods:A retrospective cohort study was conducted to collect clinical data from 151 patients with IUA who underwent TCRA in the Reproductive Medicine Department of the First Affiliated Hospital of Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine between January 2020 and January 2023. Patients were divided into a Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) group (79 patients) and a control group (72 patients) based on whether they received Wenyang Ligong Decoction after TCRA. The TCM group received estrogen and progesterone sequential therapy post-surgery, combined with Wenyang Ligong Decoction for 2-3 menstrual cycles. The control only received sequential treatment with estrogen and progesterone.Pregnancy outcomes one year after surgery were compared between the two groups. After adjusting for confounding factors using multivariate Cox regression analysis, the effect of Wenyang Ligong Decoction on pregnancy outcomes after TCRA in patients with IUA was observed.Results:The live birth rate [54.43% (43/79)], the ongoing pregnancy rate [56.96% (45/79)], and the clinical pregnancy rate [52.03% (49/79)] were higher in the TCM group than in the control [26.39% (19/72), P<0.001; 30.56% (22/72), P=0.001;37.50% (27/72), P=0.003], with statistically significant differences. There were no statistically significant differences in early abortion rate and late abortion rate between the TCM group and the control (all P>0.05). According to the stratified analysis by preparation methods, in the natural conception group, the live birth rate [60.78% (31/51)], the ongoing pregnancy rate [62.75% (32/51)], and the clinical pregnancy rate [68.63% (35/51)] in the TCM group were significantly higher than those in control group [21.43% (12/56), P<0.001; 26.79% (15/56), P<0.001; 33.93% (19/56), P<0.001]; there were no statistically significant differences in early miscarriage rate and late miscarriage rate between the two groups (both P>0.05). In the assisted reproductive technology group, there were no statistically significant differences in live birth rate, ongoing pregnancy rate, clinical pregnancy rate, early miscarriage rate, and late miscarriage rate between the two groups (all P>0.05). According to the stratified analysis by age, in the <35-year-old patients, the live birth rate [66.00% (33/50)], the ongoing pregnancy rate [70.00% (35/50)], and the clinical pregnancy rate [74.00% (37/50)] in the TCM group were significantly higher than those in control group [41.30% (19/46), P=0.015; 47.83% (22/46), P=0.027; 54.35% (25/46), P=0.044]; there were no statistically significant differences in early miscarriage rate and late miscarriage rate between the two groups (both P>0.05). In the ≥35-year-old patients, the live birth rate [34.48% (10/29)], the ongoing pregnancy rate [34.48% (10/29)], and the clinical pregnancy rate [41.38% (12/29)] in the TCM group were significantly higher than those in control group [0%, P=0.001; 0%, P=0.001; 7.69% (2/26), P=0.004]; there were no statistically significant differences in early miscarriage rate and late miscarriage rate between the two groups (both P>0.05).Univariate Cox regression analysis showed that age, number of previous uterine cavity interventions, IUA score, degree of IUA, and endometrial thickness after TCRA were independent risk factors for live births, and age, IUA score, degree of IUA, intima thickness after TCRA, and treatment group were the influencing factors of persistent pregnancy (all P<0.05). After adjusting for confounding factors, multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that Wenyang Ligong Decoction significantly improved the live birth rate ( HR=3.19, 95% CI: 1.77-8.11, P=0.001) and the rate of continuous pregnancy ( HR=3.66, 95% CI: 1.80-7.48, P<0.001) in patients with IUA. Conclusion:Wenyang Ligong Decoction can significantly improve pregnancy outcomes after TCRA in patients with IUA.
6.A case of transcatheter edge-to-edge repair performed on a patient with severe atrial functional mitral and tricuspid regurgitation
Yi-jiang ZHOU ; Wei-cong XIA ; Kai WANG ; Jun LI ; Ya-wei CUI ; Kai-li WANG ; Yun MOU ; KUSHANI·REYIHAN ; Xiao-gang GUO
Chinese Journal of Interventional Cardiology 2025;33(4):236-240
Persistent atrial fibrillation and other factors can cause mitral and tricuspid annular dilation and leaflet regurgitation,leading to severe functional mitral and tricuspid regurgitation.Patients often experience significant heart failure symptoms and poor prognosis.For patients with severe mitral or tricuspid regurgitation who are at high risk or contraindicated for surgical procedures,transbronchial repair(TEER)is an important alternative therapy that can effectively reduce valve regurgitation and improve cardiac function;Although there is a lack of large-scale data on atrial functional reflux,existing experience still shows that TEER can significantly reduce reflux and improve patients'quality of life.However,double valve intervention therapy poses challenges,especially when combined with TEER repair,which is technically more complex,time-consuming,and carries higher risks.Foreign data shows that simultaneous or staged double valve intervention can safely improve cardiac function and increase survival rates,but the optimal intervention strategy still needs further research.Due to the fact that tricuspid TEER devices have not yet been launched in China,only staged treatment can be adopted at present.This case report shows a patient with severe atrial functional mitral and tricuspid regurgitation who underwent staged transcatheter edge to edge repair surgery successfully.During a 1-year follow-up,bilateral valve regurgitation continued to improve,indicating that staged repair of bilateral atrioventricular valve regurgitation through the catheter margin is a feasible and effective treatment option.
7.Effect of remote motor imagery therapy on rehabilitation of patients with severe coronary heart disease after PCI
Jun-xia HAO ; Cong-cong LI ; Ya-nan TIAN ; Xiao-xin HOU
Chinese Journal of cardiovascular Rehabilitation Medicine 2025;34(4):565-570
Objective:To explore the effect of remote motor imagery therapy on rehabilitation of patients with severe coronary heart disease(CHD)after percutaneous coronary intervention(PCI).Methods:This randomized con-trolled study enrolled 164 patients with severe CHD undergoing PCI who admitted in the First Affiliated Hospital of Hebei North University between January 2022 and January 2024.Patients were divided into control group(n=82)and intervention group(n=82).Patients in the control group was given conventional home nursing intervention comparing to those in the intervention group receiving additional remote motor imagery therapy.Both groups were intervened for 8 weeks.Indexes of pain,psychological emotion,ability of daily living,motor function and fall were compared between two groups.Results:Compared to those in control group after intervention,patients in interven-tion group had significant lower scores of visual analogue scale(VAS)[(2.03±0.81)points vs.(5.14±0.84)points],the Hospital anxiety and depression scale(HADS)anxiety subscale(HADS-A)[(4.89±0.84)points vs.(9.05±0.78)points],HADS depression subscale(H ADS-D)[(5.31±1.10)points vs.(10.13±0.82)points],HADS total score[(10.20±1.39)points vs.(19.18±1.18)points](P<0.001 all),and significant higher 6-min walking distance(6MWD)[(439.31±16.51)m vs.(364.94±12.76)m],peak oxygen uptake(VO2 peak)[(20.28±2.40)ml·kg-1·min-1 vs.(17.26±1.35)ml·kg-1·min-1],anaerobic threshold oxygen consumption(VO2AT)[(17.04±1.18)ml·kg-1·min-1 vs.(13.62±1.16)ml·kg-1·min-1],scores of Chinese modified Fall Efficacy Scale(MFES)[(107.28±4.84)points vs.(87.41±4.73)points],ability of daily living(ADL)scale[(78.95±3.92)points vs.(68.00±4.10)points]and Barthel index[(85.83±2.50)points vs.(69.79±3.42)points](P<0.001 all).We detected significant lower incidence of falling(7.50%vs.21.25%)in the intervention group compared to control group(P=0.013).Conclusion:Remote motor imagery therapy may strengthen motor function and ability of daily living,and relieve pain and negative emotions in patients with severe CHD after PCI.
8.Value of Non-invasive Myocardial Work Combined With Myocardial Contrast Echocardiography in the Early Diagnosis of Coronary Artery Disease And Its Efficacy in Stratifying the Severity of Coronary Vessel Lesions
Lu WANG ; Tao CONG ; Siyao SUN ; Bo ZHANG ; Shaopeng WANG ; Haichen LYU ; Junjie WANG ; Huaiyu DING ; Yunlong XIA ; Yilin WANG
Chinese Circulation Journal 2025;40(11):1088-1095
Objectives:To explore the value of non-invasive myocardial work combined with myocardial contrast echocardiography(MCE)in the early diagnosis of coronary artery disease and its efficacy in stratifying the severity of coronary vessel lesions.Methods:A total of 130 patients with suspected coronary artery disease admitted to the First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University from June 2024 to January 2025 were enrolled in this study.All patients underwent echocardiography and MCE after admission,and coronary angiography(CAG).Based on CAG results,patients were divided into non-CAD group(n=45,coronary artery stenosis<50%)and CAD group(n=85,coronary artery stenosis≥50%).Patients in CAD group were further divided into low-score CAD group(≤49 points,n=43)and high-score CAD group(>49 points,n=42)according to the median of Gensini score(49 points).Non-invasive MW indices and quantitative MCE parameters were assessed.A binary logistic regression model was used to construct a combined diagnostic model,and the value of each parameter in diagnosing CAD and evaluating the severity of coronary lesions was calculated.The receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve of subjects was estimated,and the area under the curve(AUC)was calculated to evaluate its sensitivity and specificity for early diagnosis of coronary heart disease.Results:Compared with the non-CAD group,the global longitudinal strain,global work index(GWI),and global constructive work(GCW)in both low-score and high-score CAD groups were significantly lower(all P<0.05),and the global work efficiency in the high-score CAD group was significantly reduced(P<0.05).MCE indices in both low-score and high-score CAD groups were significantly lower than those in the non-CAD group(all P<0.05).The multivariate logistic stepwise regression analysis and ROC curve showed that GWI(OR=0.997,95%CI:0.995-0.999,P=0.003)and A value(representing the peak intensity of the curve,reflecting myocardial blood volume(OR=0.415,95%CI:0.246-0.698,P=0.001)were independent predictors of low-score CAD.The combined diagnostic sensitivity and specificity for low-score coronary artery disease were 72.1%and 88.9%respectively,with an AUC of 0.851.GCW(OR=0.997,95%CI:0.995-1.000,P=0.019)and β-value(OR=0.000,95%CI:0.000-0.003,P<0.001)were independent predictors of high-score CAD.The combined diagnostic sensitivity and specificity for high-score coronary artery disease were 88.1%and 88.9%respectively,with an AUC of 0.934.Conclusions:Both non-invasive myocardial work parameters and MCE parameters have high diagnostic efficacy for coronary artery lesions of various degrees.The combined application of the two methods significantly improves the accuracy of coronary artery disease diagnosis,with improved sensitivity and specificity than single technique.Our results provide a new non-invasive comprehensive diagnostic model for clinical early diagnosis and risk stratification of coronary artery disease.
9.The correlation between carotid plaque parameters of dual-energy CT angiography and the occurrence of acute stroke events
He ZHANG ; Juan LONG ; Dexing ZHOU ; Pan YU ; Xuefu XIA ; Cong SONG ; Yong WANG ; He ZHANG ; Lili ZHU ; Chunfeng HU ; Kai XU ; Yankai MENG
Journal of Practical Radiology 2025;41(6):910-914
Objective To investigate the correlation between dual-energy computed tomography angiography(CTA)parameters of carotid plaques and acute stroke events.Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical and imaging data of patients who underwent dual-energy head and neck CTA and brain MRI scans.Utilizing the Siemens workstation(Syngo.Via VB40B),region of interest(ROI)were placed on the thickest slice of the carotid plaque in the axial plane to obtain parameters such as fat fraction(FF),virtual non-contrast(VNC)value,iodine concentration(IC),electron density(Rho),effective atomic number(Zeff),dual energy index(DEI),spectral curve,and corresponding CT values at 40 keV(40 keVHU)and 90 keV(90 keVHU).The slope of the energy spectrum curve(λ)was calculated within the 40 keV-90 keV range.Patients with acute cerebral infarction(ACI)in the ipsilateral anterior circulation territory were classified into the ACI group,while those without were classified into the non-acute cerebral infarction(NACI)(NACI group).Qualitative data were analyzed using the x2 test,and quantitative data were analyzed using the t-test.The predictive performance was assessed using the area under the curve(AUC)of the receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve,and the differences between different ROC curves were compared using the DeLong test.Results A total of 72 patients were included,with 21 in the ACI group and 51 in the NACI group.The mean values of FF,Zeff,and 40 keVHU in the ACI group were greater than those in the NACI group.Statistically significant differences were observed between the groups for Zeff,DEI,40 keVHU,and λ(P<0.05).40 keVHU demonstrated the highest predictive performance,and the AUC,sensitivity,and specificity was 0.789,81.0%,and 74.5%,respectively.A combined variable constructed through logistic regression analysis yielded an AUC,sensitivity,and specificity of 0.796,85.7%,and 70.6%,respectively,with no significant statistical differences compared to single factor variables.Conclusion Dual-energy CTA parameters of carotid plaques may aid in predicting intraplaque hemorrhage(IPH)and the occurrence of acute stroke events.
10.Hybrid decompression-based surgical strategy for treating multilevel thoracic ossification of the ligamentum flavum: a retrospective study
Cong NIE ; Kaiwen CHEN ; Shenyan GU ; Feizhou LYU ; Jianyuan JIANG ; Xinlei XIA ; Chaojun ZHENG
Asian Spine Journal 2025;19(1):74-84
Methods:
Motor-evoked potentials (MEPs) and somatosensory-evoked potentials (SEPs) were recorded in 48 patients with TOLF (hybrid 20 vs. en bloc 28) during surgery. Patients were categorized based on MEP/SEP improvement, deterioration, or no change, and MEP/SEP improvement rates were measured in the improvement group. Furthermore, all patients were assessed using the Ashworth and modified Japanese Orthopedic Association scores.
Results:
The incidences of both MEP/SEP improvement (21.4% vs. 25.0%, p=0.772) and deterioration (21.4% vs. 20.0%, p=0.904) were similar between the en bloc and hybrid laminectomy groups, and no difference in preoperative and postoperative clinical assessments was observed between the two groups (p>0.05). In four patients (4/28, 14.3%) undergoing en bloc laminectomy, MEP amplitudes initially increased after OLF removal but gradually decreased. This delayed MEP reduction did not occur in the hybrid laminectomy group. Furthermore, more patients undergoing en bloc laminectomy had CFL than those undergoing hybrid laminectomy (46.4% vs. 15.0%, p=0.023). In the improvement group, the hybrid laminectomy group exhibited higher MEP improvement rates in the bilateral abductor hallucis than the en bloc laminectomy group (left side: 213.4%±35.9% vs. 152.5%±41.0%, p=0.028; right side: 201.2%±32.0% vs. 145.2%±46.3%, p=0.043).
Conclusions
Compared with en bloc laminectomy, hybrid laminectomy may be a safe and effective method for treating multilevel TOLF, potentially reducing intraoperative spinal cord irritation and CFL and causing relatively better functional recovery.

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