Objective To discuss the main pathological types and imaging characteristics of pulmonary nodules that are highly suspected to be malignant in clinical practice but are pathologically confirmed to be benign. Methods A retrospective analysis was performed on the clinical data of patients with pulmonary nodules who were initially highly suspected of malignancy but were subsequently pathologically confirmed to be benign. These patients were treated at the First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University from December 2020 to April 2023. Based on the outcomes of preoperative discussions, the patients were categorized into a benign group and a suspicious malignancy group. The clinical data and imaging characteristics of both groups were compared. Results A total of 232 patients were included in the study, comprising 112 males and 120 females, with a mean age of (50.7±12.0) years. Among these, 127 patients were classified into the benign group, while 105 patients were categorized into the suspicious malignancy group. No statistically significant differences were observed between the two groups regarding age, gender, symptoms, smoking history, or tumor history (P>0.05). However, significant differences were noted in nodule density, CT values, margins, shapes, and malignant signs (P＜0.05). Further analysis revealed that in the suspicious malignancy group, solid nodules were predominantly characterized by collagen nodules and fibrous tissue hyperplasia (33.3%), followed by tuberculosis (20.4%) and fungal infections (18.5%). In contrast, non-solid nodules were primarily composed of collagen nodules and fibrous tissue hyperplasia (41.2%) and atypical adenomatous hyperplasia (17.7%). Conclusion Benign pulmonary nodules that are suspected to be malignant are pathologically characterized by the presence of collagen nodules, fibrous tissue hyperplasia, tuberculosis, atypical adenomatous hyperplasia, and fungal infections. Radiologically, these nodules typically present as non-solid lesions and may exhibit features suggestive of malignancy, including spiculation, lobulation, cavitation, and pleural retraction.

Objective:To investigate the safety and efficacy of submucous radiofrequency ablation of the inferior turbinate, and to provide a clinical basis for the surgical treatment of allergic rhinitis in children. Methods:Patients with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome and allergic rhinitis who were admitted to the Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery of Shanghai Children's Hospital from January 2021 to December 2023 and underwent bilateral submucous radiofrequency ablation of the inferior turbinate and radiofrequency ablation of the adenoid tonsil were included in the study. Observational and statistical indexes were used to evaluate the curative effect. Results:A total of 51 cases were included in this study, and 43 cases were followed up for half a year. Submucous radiofrequency ablation of the inferior turbinate plus radiofrequency ablation of the adenoid tonsil achieved a good effect （total effective rate 93%）, and there was a statistically significant difference in the preoperative and postoperative symptoms of the children（P<0.05）. There were no complications such as bleeding, Eustachian tube injury, nasal adhesion, or nasal dryness. Conclusion:Under the premise of strict control of surgical indications, children with allergic rhinitis can be treated surgically. Inferior turbinate submucous radiofrequency ablation is more minimally invasive, effective, and safe, and can be used in clinical practice.
Humans ; Turbinates/surgery* ; Rhinitis, Allergic/surgery* ; Radiofrequency Ablation/methods* ; Child ; Male ; Female ; Sleep Apnea, Obstructive/surgery* ; Treatment Outcome ; Catheter Ablation ; Adolescent

Most cancers are currently incurable, partly due to abnormal post-translational modifications (PTMs). In this study, we initially used multiple myeloma (MM) as a working model and found that SUMOylation activating enzyme subunit 1 (SAE1) promotes the malignancy of MM. Through proteome microarray analysis, SAE1 was identified as a potential target for bioactive colcemid or its derivative colchicine. Elevated levels of SAE1 were associated with poor clinical survival and increased MM proliferation in vitro and in vivo. Additionally, SAE1 directly SUMOylated and upregulated the total protein expression of p27, leading to LLPS-mediated nuclear export of p27. Our study also demonstrated the involvement of SAE1 in other types of cancer cells, and provided the first monomer crystal structure of SAE1 and its key binding model with colchicine. Colchicine also showed promising results in the Patient-Derived Tumor Xenograft (PDX) model. Furthermore, a controlled clinical trial with 56 MM patients demonstrated the clinical efficacy of colchicine. Our findings reveal a novel mechanism by which tumor cells evade p27-induced cellular growth arrest through p27 SUMOylation-mediated nuclear export. SAE1 may serve as a promising therapeutic target, and colchicine may be a potential treatment option for multiple types of cancer in clinical settings.

Allergic rhinitis (AR), a globally prevalent immune-mediated inflammatory condition, is still an incurable disease. In the present study, we have validated the impact of the Kelch-like ECH associated protein 1 (Keap1)-related oxidative stress and inflammatory response in clinical AR patient peripheral blood and nasal swab samples, emphasizing the biological relevance of Keap1 and AR. Targeting Keap1 -nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) related anti-oxidative stress may be effective for AR intervention. Drawing inspiration from the Keap1 homodimerization and the E3 ligase characteristics, we herein present a design of novel bivalent molecules for chemical knockdown of Keap1. For the first time, we characterized ternary complexes of Keap1 dimer and one molecule of bivalent compounds. The best bivalent molecule 8 encompasses robust capacity to degrade Keap1 as a homoPROTAC^KEAP1. It efficaciously suppresses inflammatory cytokines in extensively different cells, including human nasal epithelial cells. Moreover, in an AR mouse model, we confirmed that the chemical degradation induced by homoPROTAC^KEAP1 led to therapeutic benefits in managing AR symptoms, oxidative stress and inflammation. In summary, our findings underscore the efficacy of targeting the Keap1 system through the homoPROTAC-ing technology as an innovative and promising treatment strategy for the incurable allergic disorders.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the clinical characteristics and related risk factors of Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) in intensive care unit (ICU). METHODS: A retrospective study was conducted. Patients with diarrhea admitted to the ICU of the General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University from May 1 to August 30, 2023 were selected. Patients were divided into CDI group and non-CDI group based on the presence or absence of CDI. Clinical data from two groups of patients meeting the criteria were collected and compared, including gender, age, acute physiology and chronic health evaluation II (APACHE II), length of hospital stay, serum lactic acid, parenteral nutrition time, white blood cell count (WBC), procalcitonin (PCT), C-reactive protein (CRP), coagulation indicators, albumin, antibiotic exposure, etc. Multivariate Logistic regression analysis was performed to analyze the risk factors for CDI in ICU diarrhea patients. Receiver operator characteristic curve (ROC curve) was drawn to analyze the predictive value of each index for CDI in diarrhea patients. RESULTS: A total of 24 patients with diarrhea were enrolled, including 9 patients in the CDI group and 15 patients in the non-CDI group. The time of parenteral nutrition in the CDI group was significantly longer than that in the non-CDI group [days: 18.0 (13.5, 19.5) vs. 10.0 (4.0, 18.0)], the serum lactic acid level [mmol/L: 4.40 (3.00, 15.25) vs. 2.50 (1.90, 3.20)] and the ratio of serum lactic acid > 3.9 mmol/L [66.67% (6/9) vs. 6.67% (1/15)] were significantly higher than those in the non-CDI group, with statistical significance (all P < 0.05). Multivariate binary Logistic regression analysis showed that the serum lactic acid level of the patients was an independent risk factor for CDI [odds ratio (OR) = 3.193, 95% confidence interval (95%CI) was 1.011-10.080, P = 0.048]. ROC curve showed that serum lactic acid level had a high predictive value for CDI in ICU patients with diarrhea, and the area under the curve (AUC) was 0.815, respectively. When the cut-off value of serum lactic acid was 3.9 mmol/L, the sensitivity was 66.7% and the specificity was 93.3%. CONCLUSION Patients with diarrhea who have higher serum lactate levels (> 3.9 mmol/L) on admission are at increased risk of developing CDI.
Humans ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors ; Intensive Care Units ; Clostridium Infections ; Clostridioides difficile ; Male ; Female ; Middle Aged ; Aged ; Diarrhea/microbiology* ; Logistic Models ; ROC Curve ; Adult

Aim To reveal the mechanism of cross-species ischemic heart failure from the perspective of spatial and gene co-expression networks.Methods GSE210374 and GSE57338 high-throughput sequencing datas were re-trieved from the national center for biotechnology information gene expression database(NCBI-GEO),and R language soft-ware packages was used to analyze and screen differentially expressed genes(DEG)in different myocardial regions of myo-cardial infarction rats,as well as DEG of myocardial samples from patients with ischemic heart failure and healthy controls,and the regional expression of common genes was analyzed.Weighted gene co-expression network analysis(WGCNA)was used to screen the genes related to myocardial infarction and to carry out enrichment analysis,protein-protein interac-tion network(PPI)was constructed to screen core genes(HG).Results A total of 4 835 differentially expressed genes were screened out in myocardial infarction rats and normal controls,and 51 differentially expressed genes were screened out in ischemic heart failure patients and normal control samples,which revealed representative gene sets in the left ventricular myocardial infarction area(I area),border area(BZ area),and remote area(R area)after myocardial in-farction.Spatial expression analysis revealed that there were 20 co-expressed genes in each myocardial region,16 of which were expressed in all three regions,the number of genes specifically expressed in I,BZ and R regions were 2,0 and 2,respectively.Enrichment analysis showed that the functions of co-expressed genes were different in different region.The I and BZ regions were related to collagen fiber assembly,stress-induced cardiomyocyte hypertrophy,down-regulation of c-Jun amino terminal kinase(JNK signal)and cell proliferation,and complement signaling pathways;The I and R regions were enriched in the binding of Wnt and collagen;As a non-ischemic distal R region,the co-expressed genes were signifi-cantly enriched in the extracellular matrix for functions such as compressive resistance,cytolysis and inhibition of T cell proliferation.Furthermore,it was worth noting that the products of co-expressed genes in the three regions were mostly lo-cated in the extracellular space and extracellular matrix,suggesting that there may be active cellular secretion and interac-tion regulation.Further PPI analysis suggested that asporin(ASPN),osteoglycin(OGN)and collagentype ⅩⅥ alpha chain(COL14A1)gene might be the core genes of the mechanism mentioned above.Conclusions The common mechanism of ischemic heart failure in rats and human involves multiple signaling pathways such as complement and coagu-lation cascade signaling and Wnt;which may be closely related to cell apoptosis mediated by extracellular matrix and exo-somes;ASPN,OGN,and COL14A1 may be the core genes.This work is expected to provide spatial and pathway refer-ence for the selection of intervention targets and pathway in the transformation research related to ischemic heart failure.

90Y microspheres radioembolization therapy is an emerging interventional technique used for the treatment and palliative care of intermediate and advanced liver cancer, which was registered by National Medical Products Administration for imported drugs in 2022. In order to improve the tumor response rate and reduce toxic effects, the dose assessment for the tumor and healthy tissues is implemented throughout treatment. The efficiency and accuracy of estimation method are the keys to improving the therapeutic effect. This article investigated and summarized six evaluation method and their latest progress, discussed the unique advantages and applicable scenarios of each methods, and explored the possible challenges faced in clinical applications. This study would support the development and standardization of dose prediction and evaluation in radioembolization with 90Y microspheres.

Objective:To analyze the correlation between body fat distribution measured by quantitative CT (QCT) and body mass index in adults receiving physical examination.Methods:It was a cross-sectional study. From January to December 2021, 3 205 adults undergoing physical examination who met the inclusion criteria and underwent chest CT and QCT examination in the health management discipline of Henan Provincial People′s Hospital were selected as the research objects. The general data were collected; and the subcutaneous fat area, visceral fat area, total abdominal fat area, liver fat content, abdominal obesity and fatty liver detection rate were measured by QCT. According to body mass index, the subjects were divided into normal group (18.5-<24.0 kg/m 2, 1 343 cases), overweight group (24.0-<28.0 kg/m 2, 1 427 cases) and obesity group (≥28.0 kg/m 2, 435 cases). One-way analysis of variance and χ2 test were used to compare the differences of QCT indexes among the three groups. Pearson and Spearman correlation analysis were used to evaluate the correlation between QCT indexes and body mass index. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was drawn to analyze the diagnostic effect of QCT on obesity and fatty liver. Results:Subcutaneous fat area, visceral fat area, total abdominal fat area, liver fat content, abdominal obesity and fatty liver detection rate in obese group were all significantly higher than those in overweight group and normal group [males, (147.60±46.44) vs (104.33±27.68), (73.46±22.65) cm 2; (297.46±54.70) vs (229.40±53.12), (159.57±49.68) cm 2; (445.06±70.24) vs (333.73±62.91), (233.02±61.87) cm 2; 11.30% (7.90%, 15.55%) vs 8.75% (6.50%, 11.70%), 6.60% (4.80%, 8.70%); 100.0% vs 96.0%, 64.0%; 92.9% vs 86.7%, 73.3%; females, (213.96±48.61) vs (155.85±35.31), (107.24±31.01) cm 2; (185.41±43.88) vs (142.48±41.75), (96.56±36.50) cm 2; (399.37±68.07) vs (298.33±56.86), (203.80±57.53) cm 2; 9.80% (6.90%, 13.30%) vs 7.30% (5.05%, 9.80%), 5.40%(3.50%, 7.20%); 96.4% vs 74.8%, 28.9%; 87.3% vs 75.6%, 56.5%], and were all positively correlated with body mass index (males, r/ rs=0.709, 0.738, 0.831, 0.402, 0.464, 0.225; females, r/ rs=0.798, 0.695, 0.841, 0.416, 0.605, 0.276) (all P<0.001). In both male and female subjects, the detection rates of obesity based on QCT were significantly higher than those based on body mass index (male, 86.9% vs 16.6%; female, 49.3% vs 8.9%), and the detection rates of fatty liver based on QCT were significantly higher than those based on ultrasound (male, 83.6% vs 57.1%; female, 65.2% vs 27.6%) (all P<0.001). ROC curve showed that when the visceral fat area of 142 cm 2 was used as the cut-off value for the diagnosis of obesity in male subjects, the sensitivity and specificity was 100% and 15.8%, respectively; and when the cut-off value of liver fat content 5.0% was used to diagnose fatty liver, the sensitivity and specificity was 88.9% and 25.1%, respectively. When the visceral fat area of 115 cm 2 was set as the cut-off value for the diagnosis of obesity in female subjects, the sensitivity and specificity was 96.4% and 55.3%, respectively; when the liver fat content of 5.0% was set as the cut-off value for the diagnosis of fatty liver, the sensitivity and specificity was 83.7% and 43.2%, respectively. Conclusions:The indexes of abdominal fat and liver fat measured by QCT in adults receiving physical examination are all positively correlated with body mass index. The effect of QCT in the diagnosis of obesity and fatty liver are both better than body mass index and ultrasound.

Objective:To analyze the distribution of body fat with quantitative computed tomography (QCT) in people with normal body mass index (BMI).Methods:A cross-sectional study was conducted in the physical examination population who underwent chest CT and QCT examination in the Department of Health Management, Henan Provincial People′s Hospital from January to December in 2021, and 1 395 physical examination subjects who met the inclusion criteria were selected as the research subjects. The subjects were divided into five groups according to their age. The general data of the subjects were collected. The total abdominal fat area (TFA), visceral fat area (VFA), subcutaneous fat area (SFA), total abdominal muscle area (TMA) and muscle fat content (MFC) in the subjects were measured by QCT. One-way analysis of variance, Welch test and Kruskal-Wallis test were used to compare the above QCT measurement indexes between the two genders among different age groups with normal BMI. Pearson correlation analysis was used to analyze the correlation between VFA and sarcopenia indexes. Multivariate linear regression was used to analyze the relationship between VFA and linear correlation variables in the related indicators of sarcopenia.Results:There were significant differences in TFA, VFA, TMA and SMI among different age groups in subjects with normal BMI (all P<0.05). Pearson correlation analysis showed that VFA was negatively correlated with TMA in some age groups (male: 18-39 years group: r=-0.351; 40-49 years group: r=-0.278; 60-69 years group: r=-0.245; female:40-49 years group: r=-0.251; 50-59 years group: r=-0.270;≥70 years group: r=-0.391; all P<0.01); it was negatively correlated with SMI (male: 18-39 years group: r=-0.352; 40-49 years group: r=-0.340; 50-59 years group: r=-0.266; 60-69 years group: r=-0.316; female: 40-49 years group: r=-0.240; 50-59 years group: r=-0.284; all P<0.001); it was positively correlated with MFC (male: 18-39 years group: r=0.342; 40-49 years group: r=0.291; female: 50-59 years group: r=0.133; 60-69 years group: r=0.284; all P<0.05). Multivariate linear regression analysis showed that VFA was independently and negatively correlated with SMI in both men and women after adjusting for age interference factors (male B=-1.881, t=-6.025, P<0.001; female B=-0.603, t=-2.887, P=0.004), and it was independently positively correlated with MFC (male B=1.230, t=4.271, P<0.001;female B=0.893, t=3.836, P<0.001). There was an independent negative correlation between VFA and TMA in male subjects ( B=0.263, t=2.478, P=0.013). Conclusions:VFA is correlated with TMA, SMI and MFC in people with normal BMI. Regardless of gender, SMI has a negative effect on VFA, and MFC has a positive effect on VFA.

Objective:To investigate the effect of gastrodin(GAS)on the sex-determining region Y-box2(SOX2)/β-catenin pathway in microglia induced by lipopolysaccharide(LPS).Methods:BV2 microglia was cultured in vitro and divided into the following groups:Control group(Control),LPS group(LPS),LPS+0.17 mmol/L gastrodin treatment group(LPS+GAS-L),LPS+0.34 mmol/L gastrodin treatment group(LPS+GAS-H),SOX2 inhibitor pronethalolgroup(PR),LPS+PR group(LPS+PR),and LPS+PR+GAS group(LPS+PR+GAS).Effect of PR on BV2 microglia viability was detected by CCK-8.The expression of SOX2,β-catenin,mannose receptor(CD206)and tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α)was assessed using Western Blot and immunofluorescence double staining.Results:PR did not induce significant BV2 cell death in the 0～40 μmol/L range.After LPS treatment,the expression levels of SOX2,β-catenin,and TNF-α significantly increased in the LPS group,while CD206 decreased(P＜0.05).Following GAS treatment,the expression levels of SOX2,β-catenin,and TNF-α significantly decreased,while CD206 increased(P＜0.05).Compared to the LPS group,the expression levels of β-catenin and TNF-α significantly de-creased in the PR group(P＜0.05),but no significant difference was observed between the LPS+GAS and LPS+PR+GAS group.Conclusion:GAS significantly inhibits LPS-induced microglia activation potentially through the inhibi-tion of the SOX2/β-catenin signaling pathway,and exerts anti-inflammatory effects.