Objective:To observe the efficacy of transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation (TEAS) when it is combined with warm moxibustion scraping therapy (WMST) in the treatment of myofascial pain syndrome (MPS) in the lumbodorsal region.Methods:A total of 112 patients with lumbodorsal MPS were randomly divided into a control group and a combination group, each of 56. All of the patients received TEAS, but those in the combined group additionally received warm moxibustion scraping therapy. The treatment consisted of 3 consecutive courses, with each course lasting 2 weeks and a 1-day rest interval between courses. Before the treatment and after completing 3 courses (post-treatment), the therapeutic effects were evaluated using traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) syndrome scores, visual analogue scale (VAS) ratings for pain, a pain rating index (PRI), present pain intensity (PPI), the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI).Results:After the treatment, significant decreases were observed in the average TCM syndrome, VAS pain, PRI, PPI, ODI and PSQI scores of both groups, but the combination group′s averages were all significantly lower than those of the control group. Efficacy among the combination group (92.9%) was significantly higher than among the controls (62.5%).Conclusions:Supplementing TEAS with warm moxibustion scraping can more effectively relieve lumbodorsal pain and dysfunction among patients with lumbodorsal MPS, and improve their sleep quality.

Objectives:To analyze the correlation between the the body shape index(ABSI)and all-cause mortality(ACM)as well as cardiovascular mortality(CVM)in patients with acute heart failure.Methods:This study analyzed data from the National Registration Study of Major Chronic Diseases,a prospective cohort on heart failure.A total of 4 907 patients with acute heart failure were enrolled from multiple centers nationwide,of which 4 375 were eligible for this study.The relationships of between body mass index(BMI),waist circumference,and ABSI with ACM and CVM were assessed using multivariable cox proportional hazards models.Results:The mean age of the patients was(65.0±13.4)years,62.3%was male.The median follow-up time was 4.6(4.59,4.65)years,there were 1 972(45.1%)ACM and 1 400(32.0%)CVM.Multivariable cox regression analysis showed that higher ABSI was associated with an increased risk of mortality.Compared to the second quartile of ABSI,the hazard ratio(HR)for the highest(fourth)quartile were 1.29(95%CI:1.14-1.46,P<0.05)for ACM and 1.23(95%CI:1.06-1.43,P<0.05)for CVM.In contrast,BMI and waist circumference were inversely associated with risks of both ACM and CVM.Conclusions:ABSI can more intuitively reflect the correlation between obesity and death in patients with heart failure than BMI and waist circumference,which has important clinical significance.

Objectives:To analyze the correlation between the the body shape index(ABSI)and all-cause mortality(ACM)as well as cardiovascular mortality(CVM)in patients with acute heart failure.Methods:This study analyzed data from the National Registration Study of Major Chronic Diseases,a prospective cohort on heart failure.A total of 4 907 patients with acute heart failure were enrolled from multiple centers nationwide,of which 4 375 were eligible for this study.The relationships of between body mass index(BMI),waist circumference,and ABSI with ACM and CVM were assessed using multivariable cox proportional hazards models.Results:The mean age of the patients was(65.0±13.4)years,62.3%was male.The median follow-up time was 4.6(4.59,4.65)years,there were 1 972(45.1%)ACM and 1 400(32.0%)CVM.Multivariable cox regression analysis showed that higher ABSI was associated with an increased risk of mortality.Compared to the second quartile of ABSI,the hazard ratio(HR)for the highest(fourth)quartile were 1.29(95%CI:1.14-1.46,P<0.05)for ACM and 1.23(95%CI:1.06-1.43,P<0.05)for CVM.In contrast,BMI and waist circumference were inversely associated with risks of both ACM and CVM.Conclusions:ABSI can more intuitively reflect the correlation between obesity and death in patients with heart failure than BMI and waist circumference,which has important clinical significance.

Objective:To observe the efficacy of transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation (TEAS) when it is combined with warm moxibustion scraping therapy (WMST) in the treatment of myofascial pain syndrome (MPS) in the lumbodorsal region.Methods:A total of 112 patients with lumbodorsal MPS were randomly divided into a control group and a combination group, each of 56. All of the patients received TEAS, but those in the combined group additionally received warm moxibustion scraping therapy. The treatment consisted of 3 consecutive courses, with each course lasting 2 weeks and a 1-day rest interval between courses. Before the treatment and after completing 3 courses (post-treatment), the therapeutic effects were evaluated using traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) syndrome scores, visual analogue scale (VAS) ratings for pain, a pain rating index (PRI), present pain intensity (PPI), the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI).Results:After the treatment, significant decreases were observed in the average TCM syndrome, VAS pain, PRI, PPI, ODI and PSQI scores of both groups, but the combination group′s averages were all significantly lower than those of the control group. Efficacy among the combination group (92.9%) was significantly higher than among the controls (62.5%).Conclusions:Supplementing TEAS with warm moxibustion scraping can more effectively relieve lumbodorsal pain and dysfunction among patients with lumbodorsal MPS, and improve their sleep quality.

Inducing the degradation of KRAS represents a novel strategy to combat cancers with KRAS mutation. In this study, we identify ubiquitin-specific protease 2 (USP2) as a novel deubiquitinating enzyme of KRAS in multiple myeloma (MM). Specifically, we demonstrate that gambogic acid (GA) forms a covalent bond with the cysteine 284 residue of USP2 through an allosteric pocket, inhibiting its deubiquitinating activity. Inactivation or knockdown of USP2 leads to the degradation of KRAS, resulting in the suppression of MM cell proliferation in vitro and in vivo. Conversely, overexpressing USP2 stabilizes KRAS and partially abrogates GA-induced apoptosis in MM cells. Furthermore, elevated USP2 levels may be associated with poorer prognoses in MM patients. These findings highlight the potential of the USP2/KRAS axis as a therapeutic target in MM, suggesting that strategically inducing KRAS degradation via USP2 inhibition could be a promising approach for treating cancers with KRAS mutations.

Objectives:This study was aimed to investigate the risk factors for moderate and severe acute kidney injury(AKI),in-hospital mortality and dialysis dependence after acute Stanford type A aortic dissection(TAAD)surgery. Methods:Complete clinical data of 294 TAAD patients who underwent ascending aorta replacement,total aortic arch replacement combined with frozen elephant trunk between December 2014 and December 2016 with time between symptom onset and diagnosis<14 days were retrospectively and consecutively collected and analyzed.AKI was defined according to the SCr component of the Kidney Disease Improving Global Outcomes(KDIGO)2012 consensus criteria,and classified as moderate-severe AKI(AKI stage 2-3)or non-moderate-severe AKI(no AKI or AKI stage 1).Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to analyze the risk factors for moderate to severe AKI,in-hospital mortality or dialysis dependence after TAAD surgery. Results:AKI occurs in 232 out of 294 patients(79.3%),124(42.2%)with AKI stage 1,45(15.3%)with AKI stage 2,63(21.4%)with AKI stage 3,and 27(9.2%)requiring continuous renal replacement therapy(CRRT).The dialysis dependence rate at discharge was 3.1%(n=9),and overall in-hospital mortality rate was 3.7%(n=11).Univariate analysis revealed that patients who developed the moderate-severe AKI were more likely to present with hypertension,preoperative renal hypoperfusion,longer duration of cardiopulmonary bypass(CPB),longer duration of aortic cross-clamp and higher intraoperative ultrafiltration volume(all P<0.05).Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that renal hypoperfusion(OR=4.95,95%CI:1.97-12.26,P<0.001),and prolonged CPB time(OR=1.01,95%CI:1.00-1.02,P=0.016)were independent risk factors for moderate-severe AKI after TAAD surgery.Further analysis revealed that prolonged CPB time(OR=1.02,95%Cl:1.01-1.03,P=0.007)and moderate-severe AKI(OR=10.49,95%Cl:1.22-90.62,P=0.033)were independent risk factors for in-hospital mortality or dialysis dependence after TAAD surgery. Conclusions:Preoperative renal hypoperfusion and prolonged CPB time are independent risk factors for moderate-severe AKI after TAAD surgery.Prolonged CPB time and occurrence of moderate to severe AKI significantly increase the risk of in-hospital mortality and dialysis dependence,indicating that close clinical follow-up of these patients is required.

Objective:To investigate the expression of anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK), tropomyosin receptor kinase (TRK), and recombinant C-Ros oncogene 1, receptor tyrosine kinase (ROS1) in Spitz tumors, and to analyze their associations with clinical and histopathological features of Spitz tumors.Methods:Clinical and histopathological characteristics, as well as follow-up data, were collected from patients with Spitz tumors at Department of Pathology, Hospital of Dermatology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences from January 2017 to August 2023, and retrospectively analyzed. Immunohistochemical staining for ALK, pan-TRK, and ROS1 was performed on skin tissues, and associations between the expression of these kinase proteins and clinicopathological features were analyzed.Results:A total of 57 patients with Spitz tumors were collected, including 36 females and 21 males. Immunohistochemical staining showed that 30 (52.6%) patients were positive for ALK, 4 (7.0%) were positive for ROS1, only 2 (3.5%) were positive for TRK, and 21 (36.8%) were negative for the three kinase proteins. Among the 30 ALK-positive patients, the median age was 9.5 years, 21 (70.0%) were females, and 15 (50.0%) presented with lesions on the face, which mainly manifested as papules or nodules; histologically, 29 (96.7%) patients had hypopigmented tumors with an exophytic growth pattern, and the tumor cells were mainly large and long spindle cells arranged in long cord-like, plexiform or fascicular patterns. Among the 4 ROS1-positive patients, there were 3 females and 1 male, presenting with exophytic papules or polyps; histologically, tumor cells were mostly arranged in small nests, without obvious clefts around cell nests. Two TRK-positive patients were both males aged 20 and 50 years respectively, and presented with brown and skin-colored flat papules, respectively; histologically, the tumors were located superficially with a flat base, and tumor cells spread in a pagetoid pattern in the epidermis, with some epithelioid cells and small cell nests. Among the 21 patients negative for the 3 kinase proteins, 9 were males and 12 were females, and they clinically presented with macules, papules and polypoid lesions; histologically, most tumors were located superficially, consisting of a mixture of epithelioid cells and spindle cells, with rare cytological atypia and mitotic figures, and 2 cases showed mild tissue structural and cellular atypia. Fifty-seven patients were followed up for 2 - 83.3 months, with a median follow-up of 19.2 months. Only 1 ALK-positive child experienced a recurrence, and no recurrence or lymph node metastasis was observed in the other cases.Conclusions:Among the three kinase proteins, ALK showed the highest positive rate in Spitz tumors in this study, while TRK- and ROS1-positive cases were sporadic. Histopathologically, ALK-positive Spitz tumor cells were mainly long spindle cells arranged in long cord-like or plexiform patterns, while TRK- and ROS1-positive Spitz tumors tended to have small cell nests. Both the kinase protein-positive and -negative Spitz tumors mostly had a good prognosis.

Objective To analyze the deep venous thrombosis(DVT)after plasma infusion in a patient with congenital dysfibrinogene-mia(CD),and explore the relationship between the CD and DVT.Methods The clinical data were collected and the pedigree was investigated(3 subjects of 2 generations in total).The relevant indexes of coagulation factors of the patient and her family members were detected.The genomic DNA of peripheral blood was extracted for PCR amplification.All the exons,flanking sequences,5'and 3'untranslated regions of FGA,FGB and FGG genes of fibrinogen(Fg)of the patient were analyzed by direct sequencing.The corre-sponding mutation site was subjected to sequence in the other members of this family.The PyMol software was used to construct the pro-tein model before and after gene mutation.Results The patient was admitted to hospital for hysteromyomectomy.DVT appeared in 3 days after surgery.The prothrombin time(PT),thrombin time(TT),Fg activity(Fg∶C)and Fg antigen(Fg∶Ag)of the patient was 14.9 s,33.3 s,0.94 g/L and 2.10 g/L,respectively.The above four indicators in her mother were 14.7 s,32.8 s,0.97 g/L and 2.35 g/L,respectively.Gene sequencing revealed that both the patient and her mother had a heterozygous missense mutation c.2185G＞A(p.Glu729Lys)in exon 6 of the FGA gene.The protein model analysis demonstrated that p.Glu729Lys mutation changed the amino acid side chain and reduced the number of hydrogen bonds originally formed with Arg854.Conclusion A heterozygous missense mutation c.2185G＞A(NM_000508)in exon 6 of the FGA gene should be responsible for the low fibrinogen level in this pedigree,which might be the main reason for DVT after plasma infusion in this patient.

Hyperkalemia is one of the common ion metabolism disorders in clinical practice. Hyperkalemia is defined as serum potassium higher than 5.0 mmol/L according to the guidelines at home and abroad. Acute severe hyperkalemia can cause serious consequences, such as flaccid paralysis, fatal arrhythmia, and even cardiac arrest. The use of renin-angiotensin- aldosterone system inhibitors, β-blockers and diuretics, low-sodium and high-potassium diets, and the presence of related comorbidities increase the occurrence of hyperkalemia. Hyperkalemia risk exist in all clinical departments, but there is a lack of a standardization in the management of multi- department cooperation in hospital. Therefore, a number of domestic nephrology and cardiology department experts have discussed a management model for multi-department cooperation in hyperkalemia, formulating the management standard on hospital evaluation, early warning, diagnosis and treatment, and process. This can promote each department to more effectively participate in nosocomial hyperkalemia diagnosis and treatment, as well as the long-term management of chronic hyperkalemia, improving the quality of hyperkalemia management in hospital.

Objective:To investigate clinicopathological features and prognosis of transformed mycosis fungoides (TMF) .Methods:A retrospective analysis was performed on clinicopathological data collected from 24 patients with TMF, as well as on flow cytometry results of 16 peripheral blood samples obtained from 11 of the 24 patients, who visited Hospital of Dermatology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences between 2014 and 2020.Results:Among the 24 patients, 11 were males and 13 were females. Their average age at diagnosis of TMF was 50.0 years (range: 18 - 77 years), and patients with early-stage TMF (9 cases) and tumor-stage TMF (15 cases) were aged 44.8 and 52.6 years on average, respectively. The average time interval from diagnosis of MF to large cell transformation was 3.7 years, and 8 patients were diagnosed with TMF at the initial visit. Histopathologically, large cells infiltrated in a diffuse pattern in 20 cases, as well as in a multifocal pattern in 4, and the proportion of large cells in 7 cases was greater than 75%. Immunohistochemically, 18 patients showed positive staining for CD30, and the proportion of CD30-positive large cells was greater than 75% in 9; negative staining for CD30 was observed in 6. Flow cytometry of 16 peripheral blood samples showed the presence of cell subsets expressing clonal T cell receptor (TCR) -vβ in 2 of 4 patients with early-stage TMF and 10 of 12 with tumor-stage TMF, and tumor cells with higher forward scatter than normal lymphocytes were detected in 16 samples. During the follow-up, among the patients with early-stage TMF, 3 progressed to tumor-stage TMF 3.3 years on average after large cell transformation, 1 progressed to erythrodermic MF in stage IIIA, and the other 4 still showed an indolent course; among the patients with tumor-stage TMF, 1 progressed to stage-IV TMF, and 5 died 3.3 (1.5 - 6) years after large cell transformation.Conclusion:Large cell transformation may occur in patients with MF in any stage, some patients have poor prognosis, so close follow-up is needed for patients with TMF.