Objective:To explore the clinical characteristics, diagnosis and treatment strategies, and prognosis of pulmonary embolism (PE) complicating childhood rheumatic diseases.Methods:A retrospective case series study was performed on the demographic data, laboratory indicators, imaging features, treatment regimens, and follow-up data of 8 children with rheumatic diseases complicated by PE who were admitted to the Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Capital Center for Children′s Health, Capital Medical University from January 2014 to October 2023.Results:Among the 8 children, there were 4 boys and 4 girls, with an age of 12.0 (7.5, 13.0) years. Among the primary diseases, there were 3 cases of systemic lupus erythematosus, 2 cases of Beh?et′s disease, 2 cases of Takayasu arteritis, and 1 case of antiphospholipid syndrome. All children developed PE during the active phase of the primary disease. PE was detected at the onset of the primary disease in 3 cases, and the median time from the diagnosis of the primary disease to the development of PE was 10.0 (6.0, 25.0) months in the remaining 5 cases. Fever was present in all 8 children, 4 cases were accompanied by chest tightness, dyspnea, etc., and 2 cases only presented with fever. Laboratory examinations revealed the following results: erythrocyte sedimentation rate was 42.0 (17.0, 78.0) mm/1 h, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein was 12.7 (2.6, 78.7) mg/L, white blood cell count was 9.6 (7.2, 18.7)×10 9/L; D-dimer was 2.3 (0.9, 6.2) mg/L; and hemoglobin was (109±16) g/L.Imaging examinations revealed that 5 cases had involvement of the bilateral lower pulmonary arteries, 5 cases had peripheral embolism, and 3 cases had central PE. Complications included 3 cases of deep vein thrombosis, 2 cases of intracranial venous sinus thrombosis, and 1 case of mild pulmonary hypertension.In terms of treatment, 7 cases received anticoagulation with heparin followed by warfarin. Immunomodulation was mainly based on glucocorticoids combined with immunosuppressants, and 4 cases were combined with biological agents. The follow-up time of 4.17 (1.75, 7.17) years, the time for complete absorption of PE was 10.5 (6.0, 18.0) months; all 8 children had no target events, with no recurrence or chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension, and the pulmonary artery remodeling was good. Conclusions:PE complicating childhood rheumatic diseases is closely related to the activity of the primary disease. The clinical manifestations are insidious, with fever as the main symptom. Imaging examination is the key to diagnosis.Early adoption of heparin followed by warfarin anticoagulation and glucocorticoids combined with immunosuppressants and (or) biological agents to control the primary disease can achieve a favorable prognosis.

Objective Based on the visualization graph analysis of the research hotspots of Angelica sinensis, predict the future research trends, and provide references for the next step of Angelica sinensis research. Methods Chinese and English literatures on Angelica sinensis collected from CNKI, WanFang, VIP and Web of Science from 2012 to 2022 were retrieved. CiteSpace 6.1.R6 software was used to perform visualization econometrics analysis on the number of publications, authors, institutions, journals, keywords and other topics. Results 3490 Chinese literatures and 409 English literatures were included. Visual knowledge map analysis showed that Gansu University of Chinese Medicine and Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine were the research institutions with the largest number of literature publications in Chinese and English respectively. Journals published mainly include Shizhen Traditional Chinese Medicine and Materia medica, Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine. Current research hotspots include the effects of Angelica sinensis polysaccharides, volatile oils, and ferulic acid on the hematopoietic system, chronic diseases, and cognitive impairment, as well as clinical efficacy evaluations of classic prescriptions containing Angelica sinensis and their modified formulations. The research trend was characterized by a focus on the pharmacological study of Danggui Buxue Tang,employing various experimental approaches such as network pharmacology, serum pharmacology, and metabolomics to elucidate the mechanisms of Angelica sinensis. Conclusion The pharmacological effects of Angelica sinensis and its compound were extensive, which should be further researched.

Objective:To explore the clinical characteristics, diagnosis and treatment strategies, and prognosis of pulmonary embolism (PE) complicating childhood rheumatic diseases.Methods:A retrospective case series study was performed on the demographic data, laboratory indicators, imaging features, treatment regimens, and follow-up data of 8 children with rheumatic diseases complicated by PE who were admitted to the Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Capital Center for Children′s Health, Capital Medical University from January 2014 to October 2023.Results:Among the 8 children, there were 4 boys and 4 girls, with an age of 12.0 (7.5, 13.0) years. Among the primary diseases, there were 3 cases of systemic lupus erythematosus, 2 cases of Beh?et′s disease, 2 cases of Takayasu arteritis, and 1 case of antiphospholipid syndrome. All children developed PE during the active phase of the primary disease. PE was detected at the onset of the primary disease in 3 cases, and the median time from the diagnosis of the primary disease to the development of PE was 10.0 (6.0, 25.0) months in the remaining 5 cases. Fever was present in all 8 children, 4 cases were accompanied by chest tightness, dyspnea, etc., and 2 cases only presented with fever. Laboratory examinations revealed the following results: erythrocyte sedimentation rate was 42.0 (17.0, 78.0) mm/1 h, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein was 12.7 (2.6, 78.7) mg/L, white blood cell count was 9.6 (7.2, 18.7)×10 9/L; D-dimer was 2.3 (0.9, 6.2) mg/L; and hemoglobin was (109±16) g/L.Imaging examinations revealed that 5 cases had involvement of the bilateral lower pulmonary arteries, 5 cases had peripheral embolism, and 3 cases had central PE. Complications included 3 cases of deep vein thrombosis, 2 cases of intracranial venous sinus thrombosis, and 1 case of mild pulmonary hypertension.In terms of treatment, 7 cases received anticoagulation with heparin followed by warfarin. Immunomodulation was mainly based on glucocorticoids combined with immunosuppressants, and 4 cases were combined with biological agents. The follow-up time of 4.17 (1.75, 7.17) years, the time for complete absorption of PE was 10.5 (6.0, 18.0) months; all 8 children had no target events, with no recurrence or chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension, and the pulmonary artery remodeling was good. Conclusions:PE complicating childhood rheumatic diseases is closely related to the activity of the primary disease. The clinical manifestations are insidious, with fever as the main symptom. Imaging examination is the key to diagnosis.Early adoption of heparin followed by warfarin anticoagulation and glucocorticoids combined with immunosuppressants and (or) biological agents to control the primary disease can achieve a favorable prognosis.

Objective To investigate the association between low-level ionizing radiation exposure and peripheral blood parameters in medical radiation workers, and to provide evidence for radiation protection strategies and occupational health surveillance. Methods A total of 1261 medical radiation workers from medical institutions in Heze City, Shandong Province, China, were enrolled. Individual monitoring of occupational external exposure was performed. Demographic characteristics and physical examination data were collected. According to the median annual effective dose, the subjects were stratified into a low-dose group (0.10-0.43 mSv) and a high-dose group (>0.43-5.24 mSv). Logistic regression was used to assess the association between ionizing radiation and peripheral blood parameters. Subgroup analyses were conducted by gender, age, and exposure duration. Results A total of 1261 subjects were enrolled, of whom 893 (70.82%) were male and 368 (29.18%) were female. The median age was 39.00 (32.00, 47.00) years and the median exposure duration was 11.00 (5.00, 22.00) years. No statistically significant differences in baseline characteristics were observed between the two groups. The radiation dose ranged from 0.104 to 5.239 mSv, all below the occupational exposure limit (20 mSv). Basophil count, hematocrit, and mean corpuscular volume in the high-dose group were significantly higher than those in the low-dose group, while mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration was lower (P<0.05). Logistic regression analysis showed that ionizing radiation primarily affected erythrocyte parameters, with abnormal hematocrit (OR=1.449, 95%CI: 1.148-1.831), abnormal mean corpuscular volume (OR=1.407, 95%CI: 1.119-1.771), and abnormal mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (OR=1.608, 95%CI: 1.278-2.025) positively associated with ionizing radiation exposure. Subgroup analyses further revealed differences that were not observed in the total population These findings suggest that gender, age, and exposure duration may modify the effect of ionizing radiation on peripheral blood parameters. Conclusion Long-term low-level ionizing radiation exposure can affect peripheral blood parameters in medical radiation workers, particularly erythrocyte parameters. Enhanced occupational health monitoring and protection measures are warranted.

Intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD) is largely attributed to impaired endogenous repair. Nucleus pulposus-derived stem cells (NPSCs) senescence leads to endogenous repair failure. Small extracellular vesicles/exosomes derived from mesenchymal stem cells (mExo) have shown great therapeutic potential in IDD, while whether mExo could alleviate NPSCs senescence and its mechanisms remained unknown. We established a compression-induced NPSCs senescence model and rat IDD models to evaluate the therapeutic efficiency of mExo and investigate the mechanisms. We found that mExo significantly alleviated NPSCs senescence and promoted disc regeneration while knocking down thioredoxin (TXN) impaired the protective effects of mExo. TXN was bound to various endosomal sorting complex required for transport (ESCRT) proteins. Autocrine motility factor receptor (AMFR) mediated TXN K63 ubiquitination to promote the binding of TXN on ESCRT proteins and sorting of TXN into mExo. Knocking down exosomal TXN inhibited the transcriptional activity of nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (NRF2) and activator protein 1 (AP-1). NRF2 and AP-1 inhibition reduced endogenous TXN production that was promoted by exosomal TXN. Inhibition of NRF2 in vivo diminished the anti-senescence and regenerative effects of mExo. Conclusively, AMFR-mediated TXN ubiquitination promoted the sorting of TXN into mExo, allowing exosomal TXN to promote endogenous TXN production in NPSCs via TXN/NRF2/AP-1 feed-forward circuit to alleviate NPSCs senescence and disc degeneration.

Objective: This study investigates the potential of radiomics to predict postoperative progression of ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament (OPLL) after posterior cervical spine surgery. Methods: This retrospective study included 473 patients diagnosed with OPLL at Peking University Third Hospital between October 2006 and September 2022. Patients underwent posterior spinal surgery and had at least 2 computed tomography (CT) examinations spaced at least 1 year apart. OPLL progression was defined as an annual growth rate exceeding 7.5%. Radiomic features were extracted from preoperative CT images of the OPLL lesions, followed by feature selection using correlation coefficient analysis and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator, and dimensionality reduction using principal component analysis. Univariable analysis identified significant clinical variables for constructing the clinical model. Logistic regression models, including the Rad-score model, clinical model, and combined model, were developed to predict OPLL progression. Results: Of the 473 patients, 191 (40.4%) experienced OPLL progression. On the testing set, the combined model, which incorporated the Rad-score and clinical variables (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve [AUC] = 0.751), outperformed both the radiomics-only model (AUC = 0.693) and the clinical model (AUC = 0.620). Calibration curves demonstrated good agreement between predicted probabilities and observed outcomes, and decision curve analysis confirmed the clinical utility of the combined model. SHAP (SHapley Additive exPlanations) analysis indicated that the Rad-score and age were key contributors to the model’s predictions, enhancing clinical interpretability. Conclusion Radiomics, combined with clinical variables, provides a valuable predictive tool for assessing the risk of postoperative progression in cervical OPLL, supporting more personalized treatment strategies. Prospective, multicenter validation is needed to confirm the utility of the model in broader clinical settings.

Objective: This study investigates the potential of radiomics to predict postoperative progression of ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament (OPLL) after posterior cervical spine surgery. Methods: This retrospective study included 473 patients diagnosed with OPLL at Peking University Third Hospital between October 2006 and September 2022. Patients underwent posterior spinal surgery and had at least 2 computed tomography (CT) examinations spaced at least 1 year apart. OPLL progression was defined as an annual growth rate exceeding 7.5%. Radiomic features were extracted from preoperative CT images of the OPLL lesions, followed by feature selection using correlation coefficient analysis and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator, and dimensionality reduction using principal component analysis. Univariable analysis identified significant clinical variables for constructing the clinical model. Logistic regression models, including the Rad-score model, clinical model, and combined model, were developed to predict OPLL progression. Results: Of the 473 patients, 191 (40.4%) experienced OPLL progression. On the testing set, the combined model, which incorporated the Rad-score and clinical variables (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve [AUC] = 0.751), outperformed both the radiomics-only model (AUC = 0.693) and the clinical model (AUC = 0.620). Calibration curves demonstrated good agreement between predicted probabilities and observed outcomes, and decision curve analysis confirmed the clinical utility of the combined model. SHAP (SHapley Additive exPlanations) analysis indicated that the Rad-score and age were key contributors to the model’s predictions, enhancing clinical interpretability. Conclusion Radiomics, combined with clinical variables, provides a valuable predictive tool for assessing the risk of postoperative progression in cervical OPLL, supporting more personalized treatment strategies. Prospective, multicenter validation is needed to confirm the utility of the model in broader clinical settings.

Objective: This study investigates the potential of radiomics to predict postoperative progression of ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament (OPLL) after posterior cervical spine surgery. Methods: This retrospective study included 473 patients diagnosed with OPLL at Peking University Third Hospital between October 2006 and September 2022. Patients underwent posterior spinal surgery and had at least 2 computed tomography (CT) examinations spaced at least 1 year apart. OPLL progression was defined as an annual growth rate exceeding 7.5%. Radiomic features were extracted from preoperative CT images of the OPLL lesions, followed by feature selection using correlation coefficient analysis and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator, and dimensionality reduction using principal component analysis. Univariable analysis identified significant clinical variables for constructing the clinical model. Logistic regression models, including the Rad-score model, clinical model, and combined model, were developed to predict OPLL progression. Results: Of the 473 patients, 191 (40.4%) experienced OPLL progression. On the testing set, the combined model, which incorporated the Rad-score and clinical variables (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve [AUC] = 0.751), outperformed both the radiomics-only model (AUC = 0.693) and the clinical model (AUC = 0.620). Calibration curves demonstrated good agreement between predicted probabilities and observed outcomes, and decision curve analysis confirmed the clinical utility of the combined model. SHAP (SHapley Additive exPlanations) analysis indicated that the Rad-score and age were key contributors to the model’s predictions, enhancing clinical interpretability. Conclusion Radiomics, combined with clinical variables, provides a valuable predictive tool for assessing the risk of postoperative progression in cervical OPLL, supporting more personalized treatment strategies. Prospective, multicenter validation is needed to confirm the utility of the model in broader clinical settings.

Objective: This study investigates the potential of radiomics to predict postoperative progression of ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament (OPLL) after posterior cervical spine surgery. Methods: This retrospective study included 473 patients diagnosed with OPLL at Peking University Third Hospital between October 2006 and September 2022. Patients underwent posterior spinal surgery and had at least 2 computed tomography (CT) examinations spaced at least 1 year apart. OPLL progression was defined as an annual growth rate exceeding 7.5%. Radiomic features were extracted from preoperative CT images of the OPLL lesions, followed by feature selection using correlation coefficient analysis and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator, and dimensionality reduction using principal component analysis. Univariable analysis identified significant clinical variables for constructing the clinical model. Logistic regression models, including the Rad-score model, clinical model, and combined model, were developed to predict OPLL progression. Results: Of the 473 patients, 191 (40.4%) experienced OPLL progression. On the testing set, the combined model, which incorporated the Rad-score and clinical variables (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve [AUC] = 0.751), outperformed both the radiomics-only model (AUC = 0.693) and the clinical model (AUC = 0.620). Calibration curves demonstrated good agreement between predicted probabilities and observed outcomes, and decision curve analysis confirmed the clinical utility of the combined model. SHAP (SHapley Additive exPlanations) analysis indicated that the Rad-score and age were key contributors to the model’s predictions, enhancing clinical interpretability. Conclusion Radiomics, combined with clinical variables, provides a valuable predictive tool for assessing the risk of postoperative progression in cervical OPLL, supporting more personalized treatment strategies. Prospective, multicenter validation is needed to confirm the utility of the model in broader clinical settings.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the effect of avitinib for suppressing NLRP3 inflammasome activation and alleviating septic shock and explore the underlying mechanism. METHODS: Mouse bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMDM), human monocytic leukemia cell line THP-1, and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) isolated from healthy volunteers were pre-treated with avitinib, followed by activation of the canonical NLRP3 inflammasome using agonists including nigericin, monosodium urate (MSU) crystals, or adenosine triphosphate (ATP). Non-canonical NLRP3 inflammasome activation was induced via intracellular transfection of lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Western blotting was used to detect the secretory protein markers of NLRP3 inflammasome activation and assess pyroptosis, and the levels of inflammatory cytokines in cell culture supernatant were determined with ELISA. In a mouse model of LPS-induced septic shock, the effect of avitinib treatment on the levels of inflammatory cytokines in serum and peritoneal lavage fluid were examined with ELISA, and survival curves of the mice were plotted using the Kaplan-Meier method. RESULTS: Avitinib significantly inhibited NLRP3 inflammasome activation in multiple cell types, and dose-dependently reduced IL-1β secretion and caspase-1 cleavage while suppressing GSDMD-mediated pyroptosis without obviously affecting IL-6 or TNF-α levels. In the mouse models of LPS-induced septic shock, avitinib significantly lowered IL-1β levels in serum and peritoneal fluid and extended survival time of the mice. CONCLUSIONS Avitinib suppresses NLRP3 inflammasome activation and alleviates septic shock in mice.
Animals ; Shock, Septic/metabolism* ; Mice ; NLR Family, Pyrin Domain-Containing 3 Protein ; Inflammasomes/drug effects* ; Humans ; Macrophages/metabolism* ; Interleukin-1beta/metabolism* ; Lipopolysaccharides