Objective:To investigate the survival outcomes and prognostic factors in patients undergoing radical resection for pancreatic body and tail cancer.Methods:A retrospective case series study was conducted on 992 patients who underwent radical resection for pancreatic body and tail cancer at the Pancreatic Center of the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University from January 2016 to June 2024. In this study, 577 (58.2%) were male and 415 (41.8%) were female,with an age of (65±9) years (range: 26 to 86 years). Follow-up continued until June 2024. Survival rates were estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method,and prognostic factors were identified using univariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazards models.Results:Among 992 patients,open surgery was the predominant approach (89.1%, 884/992), and radical antegrade modular pancreatosplenectomy (RAMPS) was performed in 317 patients (32.0%). Combined organ resection,venous resection,and arterial resection were performed in 23.5%, 9.3%,and 11.2% of patients,respectively. The rates of R0, R1-1 mm, and R1-direct resections were 49.8% (494/992),41.5% (412/992), and 8.7% (86/992),respectively. Stage ⅡB was the most common TNM stage (32.2%,319/992). A total of 801 patients (80.8%) received adjuvant chemotherapy. The median follow-up period was 32.0(8.8) months(range:3.2 to 105.3 months),during which 508 patients (51.2%) died. The overall median survival (OS) was 26.4 months,with 1-,3-, and 5-year survival rates of 79.0%,40.0%, and 29.0%, respectively. In the recent five years (from 2020 to 2024), the median OS improved significantly to 34.1 months compared to 20.0 months from 2016 to 2019 ( P<0.01). Histological subtype analysis showed that the median OS time was 26.7 months for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC, n=855),58.9 months for invasive intraductal papillary mucinous carcinoma (IPMC, n=32),and 15.7 months for adenosquamous carcinoma of pancreas (ASCP, n=73) ( P=0.001). Among PDAC patients, adjuvant chemotherapy significantly improved survival (29.1 months vs. 14.4 months, P<0.01);in IPMC patients, adjuvant chemotherapy also extended survival (65.7 months vs. 58.9 months, P=0.047). Although ASCP patients receiving chemotherapy had a longer median OS time than those without (18.8 months vs. 8.9 months),the difference was not statistically significant ( P=0.151). Multivariate Cox regression analysis in PDAC patients indicated that adjuvant chemotherapy, R0 resection, T stage,N stage,and tumor differentiation were independent prognostic factors ( P<0.01). The median OS time by TNM stage was:not reached for stage ⅠA, 51.6 months for ⅠB, 25.5 months for ⅡA, 23.7 months for ⅡB, 23.0 months for Ⅲ, and 14.4 months for Ⅳ. The median OS time for R0,R1-1 mm,and R1-direct resections was 34.1,24.7,and 15.7 months,respectively ( P<0.01). Conclusion:Adjuvant chemotherapy,R0 resection,tumor stage,and differentiation are independent prognostic factors for pancreatic body and tail cancer.

Objective:To investigate the survival outcomes and prognostic factors in patients undergoing radical resection for pancreatic body and tail cancer.Methods:A retrospective case series study was conducted on 992 patients who underwent radical resection for pancreatic body and tail cancer at the Pancreatic Center of the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University from January 2016 to June 2024. In this study, 577 (58.2%) were male and 415 (41.8%) were female,with an age of (65±9) years (range: 26 to 86 years). Follow-up continued until June 2024. Survival rates were estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method,and prognostic factors were identified using univariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazards models.Results:Among 992 patients,open surgery was the predominant approach (89.1%, 884/992), and radical antegrade modular pancreatosplenectomy (RAMPS) was performed in 317 patients (32.0%). Combined organ resection,venous resection,and arterial resection were performed in 23.5%, 9.3%,and 11.2% of patients,respectively. The rates of R0, R1-1 mm, and R1-direct resections were 49.8% (494/992),41.5% (412/992), and 8.7% (86/992),respectively. Stage ⅡB was the most common TNM stage (32.2%,319/992). A total of 801 patients (80.8%) received adjuvant chemotherapy. The median follow-up period was 32.0(8.8) months(range:3.2 to 105.3 months),during which 508 patients (51.2%) died. The overall median survival (OS) was 26.4 months,with 1-,3-, and 5-year survival rates of 79.0%,40.0%, and 29.0%, respectively. In the recent five years (from 2020 to 2024), the median OS improved significantly to 34.1 months compared to 20.0 months from 2016 to 2019 ( P<0.01). Histological subtype analysis showed that the median OS time was 26.7 months for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC, n=855),58.9 months for invasive intraductal papillary mucinous carcinoma (IPMC, n=32),and 15.7 months for adenosquamous carcinoma of pancreas (ASCP, n=73) ( P=0.001). Among PDAC patients, adjuvant chemotherapy significantly improved survival (29.1 months vs. 14.4 months, P<0.01);in IPMC patients, adjuvant chemotherapy also extended survival (65.7 months vs. 58.9 months, P=0.047). Although ASCP patients receiving chemotherapy had a longer median OS time than those without (18.8 months vs. 8.9 months),the difference was not statistically significant ( P=0.151). Multivariate Cox regression analysis in PDAC patients indicated that adjuvant chemotherapy, R0 resection, T stage,N stage,and tumor differentiation were independent prognostic factors ( P<0.01). The median OS time by TNM stage was:not reached for stage ⅠA, 51.6 months for ⅠB, 25.5 months for ⅡA, 23.7 months for ⅡB, 23.0 months for Ⅲ, and 14.4 months for Ⅳ. The median OS time for R0,R1-1 mm,and R1-direct resections was 34.1,24.7,and 15.7 months,respectively ( P<0.01). Conclusion:Adjuvant chemotherapy,R0 resection,tumor stage,and differentiation are independent prognostic factors for pancreatic body and tail cancer.

Objective:To develop a treatment-related quality of life scale for Chinese patients with multiple myeloma (MM) and to test its reliability and validity.Methods:The initial scale was constructed through a literature search, Delphi expert correspondence, and cognitive testing. This study conducted a preliminary survey of 379 patients with MM and a formal survey of 865 patients from the hematology departments of 155 hospitals nationwide from February 2024 to March 2024. The final scale was obtained after conducting item analysis and reliability and validity tests on the initial scale.Results:The constructed scale contains 36 items covering six domains: physiological, psychological, social, treatment side effects, general health, and others. In the preliminary survey, the Cronbach’s alpha coefficient of each item ranged from 0.597 to 0.939, and the test-retest reliability was 0.747 ( P<0.001). Exploratory factor analysis extracted eight common factors with a cumulative variance contribution of 60.058%. In the formal survey, the Cronbach’s alpha coefficient of each item ranged from 0.484 to 0.930, and the test-retest reliability was 0.835 ( P<0.001). Confirmatory factor analysis revealed a comparative fit index of 0.750, a root-mean-square error of approximation of 0.090, and a root-mean-square residual of 0.067. Conclusion:The treatment-related quality of life scale for Chinese patients with MM designed in this study exhibited good reliability and validity, reflecting the impact of treatment on the quality of life of patients. This scale can provide a reference to clinicians for assessing the disease status of patients.

Objective:To investigate the relationship between different states of cardiac function and their changes during the course of diabetic foot ulcers(DFU), and to evaluate their impact on patient prognosis.Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on 194 DFU patients who were rehospitalized at approximately 3-month intervals. Basic clinical data and cardiac function-related indicators were collected at baseline and follow-up. Patients were followed until death or until November 10, 2024. Outcomes including ulcer healing, recurrence, minor amputation, and death were recorded. Logistic regression models were used to analyze the effects of cardiac function status and its changes on these four outcomes. Results:After treatment, the proportion of patients with NYHA class Ⅱ-Ⅲ decreased significantly from 33.5% at baseline to 21.6%( P=0.009). Serum N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide(NT-proBNP) level also decreased after treatment compared with baseline [635.85(59.83, 453.28) pg/mL vs 728.67(81.48, 696.15) pg/mL, P=0.055]. Serum NT-proBNP level was significantly higher in the death group compared to the survival group( P=0.002). The proportion of DFU patients with baseline NYHA class Ⅱ-Ⅲ was significantly higher than that in those with class Ⅰ( P=0.012). Regression analysis showed that an improvement in NT-proBNP levels was associated with a lower risk of DFU recurrence( OR=0.378, 95% CI 0.183-0.779, P=0.008), and improvement in NYHA class was associated with a lower mortality risk( OR=0.074, 95% CI 0.020-0.275, P<0.001). Conclusion:Cardiac function status and its changes during the treatment of DFU patients have strong prognostic implications, particularly in predicting the risk of recurrence and death outcomes.

Objective:To investigate the clinical efficacy of pancreatic cancer surgery with arterial resection.Methods:The clinicopathological and follow-up data of 135 patients undergoing pancreatectomies with arterial resection in Pancreas Center, the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University from Sep 2013 to Dec 2023 were retrospectively analyzed.Results:There were 77 males and 58 females, with age [ M( IQR)] of 63 (14) years old. Among the 135 patients, 122 (90.4%) were distal pancreatectomies, 8 (5.9%) were pancreaticoduodenectomies, 4 (3.0%) were total pancreatectomies and 1 (0.7%) was resection for local recurrence after distal pancreatectomy. There were 120 (88.9%) celiac axis resections, 11 (8.1%) hepatic artery resections, 1 (0.7%) superior mesenteric artery resection and 3 (2.2%) other artery resections. Simultaneous portal vein-superior mesenteric vein or organ resection accounted for 26.7% (36/135) and 29.6% (40/135),respectively. The median blood loss was 300 (300) ml and the median operation time was 275 (105) minutes. The 90-day mortality rate was 7.4% (10/135). The overall morbidity rate was 70.4% (95/135) while the major morbidity rate was 18.5% (25/135). Postoperative hemorrhage occurred in 8.9% (12/135), clinically relevant postoperative pancreatic fistula in 57.0% (77/135), bile leak in 0.74% (1/135), delayed gastric emptying in 9.6% (13/135), liver failure in 3.7% (5/135) and transient liver enzyme elevation in 44.4% (60/135). All of the 135 cases were confirmed as pancreatic cancer histologically, including 54.6% (71/130) moderately differentiated, 45.4% (59/130) poorly differentiated and no for well differentiated. The median tumor size was 4.5 (2.3) cm. The median number of harvested lymph nodes was 14 (13) and the percentage of N0, N1 and N2 according to AJCC 8th staging system was 27.1% (36/133), 52.6% (70/133) and 20.3% (27/133), respectively. The R 0 resection was achieved in 40 of 123 cases (32.5%), whose margins of specimens were assessed circumferentially based on the 1mm rule. The median overall survival time (MST) after surgery was 22.5 months, and the median progress-free survival time was 16.1 months. The overall survival rate at 1-, 2- and 5-year was 71.5%, 45.1% and 11.3%, respectively. The MST of patients who received no adjuvant therapy, chemotherapy after surgery was 8.4 months, 25.3 months, respectively. Conclusions:Pancreatectomy with arterial resection is generally safe and feasible. Survival outcome improves significantly when combined with adjuvant chemotherapy.

Objective:To develop a treatment-related quality of life scale for Chinese patients with multiple myeloma (MM) and to test its reliability and validity.Methods:The initial scale was constructed through a literature search, Delphi expert correspondence, and cognitive testing. This study conducted a preliminary survey of 379 patients with MM and a formal survey of 865 patients from the hematology departments of 155 hospitals nationwide from February 2024 to March 2024. The final scale was obtained after conducting item analysis and reliability and validity tests on the initial scale.Results:The constructed scale contains 36 items covering six domains: physiological, psychological, social, treatment side effects, general health, and others. In the preliminary survey, the Cronbach’s alpha coefficient of each item ranged from 0.597 to 0.939, and the test-retest reliability was 0.747 ( P<0.001). Exploratory factor analysis extracted eight common factors with a cumulative variance contribution of 60.058%. In the formal survey, the Cronbach’s alpha coefficient of each item ranged from 0.484 to 0.930, and the test-retest reliability was 0.835 ( P<0.001). Confirmatory factor analysis revealed a comparative fit index of 0.750, a root-mean-square error of approximation of 0.090, and a root-mean-square residual of 0.067. Conclusion:The treatment-related quality of life scale for Chinese patients with MM designed in this study exhibited good reliability and validity, reflecting the impact of treatment on the quality of life of patients. This scale can provide a reference to clinicians for assessing the disease status of patients.

Objective:To investigate the relationship between different states of cardiac function and their changes during the course of diabetic foot ulcers(DFU), and to evaluate their impact on patient prognosis.Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on 194 DFU patients who were rehospitalized at approximately 3-month intervals. Basic clinical data and cardiac function-related indicators were collected at baseline and follow-up. Patients were followed until death or until November 10, 2024. Outcomes including ulcer healing, recurrence, minor amputation, and death were recorded. Logistic regression models were used to analyze the effects of cardiac function status and its changes on these four outcomes. Results:After treatment, the proportion of patients with NYHA class Ⅱ-Ⅲ decreased significantly from 33.5% at baseline to 21.6%( P=0.009). Serum N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide(NT-proBNP) level also decreased after treatment compared with baseline [635.85(59.83, 453.28) pg/mL vs 728.67(81.48, 696.15) pg/mL, P=0.055]. Serum NT-proBNP level was significantly higher in the death group compared to the survival group( P=0.002). The proportion of DFU patients with baseline NYHA class Ⅱ-Ⅲ was significantly higher than that in those with class Ⅰ( P=0.012). Regression analysis showed that an improvement in NT-proBNP levels was associated with a lower risk of DFU recurrence( OR=0.378, 95% CI 0.183-0.779, P=0.008), and improvement in NYHA class was associated with a lower mortality risk( OR=0.074, 95% CI 0.020-0.275, P<0.001). Conclusion:Cardiac function status and its changes during the treatment of DFU patients have strong prognostic implications, particularly in predicting the risk of recurrence and death outcomes.

Objective:To investigate the clinical efficacy of pancreatic cancer surgery with arterial resection.Methods:The clinicopathological and follow-up data of 135 patients undergoing pancreatectomies with arterial resection in Pancreas Center, the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University from Sep 2013 to Dec 2023 were retrospectively analyzed.Results:There were 77 males and 58 females, with age [ M( IQR)] of 63 (14) years old. Among the 135 patients, 122 (90.4%) were distal pancreatectomies, 8 (5.9%) were pancreaticoduodenectomies, 4 (3.0%) were total pancreatectomies and 1 (0.7%) was resection for local recurrence after distal pancreatectomy. There were 120 (88.9%) celiac axis resections, 11 (8.1%) hepatic artery resections, 1 (0.7%) superior mesenteric artery resection and 3 (2.2%) other artery resections. Simultaneous portal vein-superior mesenteric vein or organ resection accounted for 26.7% (36/135) and 29.6% (40/135),respectively. The median blood loss was 300 (300) ml and the median operation time was 275 (105) minutes. The 90-day mortality rate was 7.4% (10/135). The overall morbidity rate was 70.4% (95/135) while the major morbidity rate was 18.5% (25/135). Postoperative hemorrhage occurred in 8.9% (12/135), clinically relevant postoperative pancreatic fistula in 57.0% (77/135), bile leak in 0.74% (1/135), delayed gastric emptying in 9.6% (13/135), liver failure in 3.7% (5/135) and transient liver enzyme elevation in 44.4% (60/135). All of the 135 cases were confirmed as pancreatic cancer histologically, including 54.6% (71/130) moderately differentiated, 45.4% (59/130) poorly differentiated and no for well differentiated. The median tumor size was 4.5 (2.3) cm. The median number of harvested lymph nodes was 14 (13) and the percentage of N0, N1 and N2 according to AJCC 8th staging system was 27.1% (36/133), 52.6% (70/133) and 20.3% (27/133), respectively. The R 0 resection was achieved in 40 of 123 cases (32.5%), whose margins of specimens were assessed circumferentially based on the 1mm rule. The median overall survival time (MST) after surgery was 22.5 months, and the median progress-free survival time was 16.1 months. The overall survival rate at 1-, 2- and 5-year was 71.5%, 45.1% and 11.3%, respectively. The MST of patients who received no adjuvant therapy, chemotherapy after surgery was 8.4 months, 25.3 months, respectively. Conclusions:Pancreatectomy with arterial resection is generally safe and feasible. Survival outcome improves significantly when combined with adjuvant chemotherapy.

Objective To verify the function of exosomes from 293T cells over-expressing membrane-localized IL-3 in vitro,so as to lay a foundation for in vivo function verification in animal models of Alzheimer's disease.Methods Using the patented structure of the group,a recombinant IL-3 lentiviral vector was constructed and virus-infected 293T cells were packaged.Stable cell strain over-expressing IL-3 was screened.The membrane localization of IL-3 was verified by flow cytometry and immuno-fluorescence.Il-3-exosomes were purified by ultra filtration centrifugation,the exosmic morphology was observed by transmission electron microscope,the size distribution and concentration of exosomes were detected by nano-flow analysis,and the expression of IL-3 and exosome related marker proteins were detected by Western blot.The effect of BV-2 on the phagocytosis of Aβ amyloid was detected by immuno-fluores-cence.Results Through vector construction,virus infection,screening and verification of puromycin,293T cell strain with stable over-expression membrane-anchored IL-3 was obtained.The purified exosomes were collected and the structures of double-layer membrane vesicles with a diameter of 50-100 nm were observed under transmission electron microscope.Western blot results proved the presence of CD63,ALIX,TSG101 and other exosome marker proteins and these molecules were rich in IL-3 as compared with the control,that suggested the successful purifica-tion of IL-3-exosomes.The results of immuno-fluorescence assay showed that IL-3-exosomes promoted the phagocy-tosis of Aβ amyloid by BV-2 cells in vitro.Conclusions The gene modified 293T cell exosomes membrane-anchored expression of IL-3 can play a role of both IL-3 and exosomes in vitro,which promote the phagocytosis of microglia,there for provides a new idea for the clinical treatment of Alzheimer's disease.

Background::Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is a common cause of respiratory failure in many critically ill patients. Although inflammasome activation plays an important role in the induction of acute lung injury (ALI) and ARDS, the regulatory mechanism of this process is still unclear. When cells are stimulated by inflammation, the integrity and physiological function of mitochondria play a crucial part in pyroptosis. However, the underlying mechanisms and function of mitochondrial proteins in the process of pyroptosis are largely not yet known. Here, we identified the 18-kDa translocator protein (TSPO), a mitochondrial outer membrane protein, as an important mediator regulating nucleotide-binding domain, leucine-rich repeat, and pyrin domain-containing protein 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome activation in macrophages during ALI.Methods::TSPO gene knockout (KO) and lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced ALI/ARDS mouse models were employed to investigate the biological role of TSPO in the pathogenesis of ARDS. Murine macrophages were used to further characterize the effect of TSPO on the NLRP3 inflammasome pathway. Activation of NLRP3 inflammasome was preformed through LPS + adenosine triphosphate (ATP) co-stimulation, followed by detection of mitochondrial membrane potential, reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, and cell death to evaluate the potential biological function of TSPO. Comparisons between two groups were performed with a two-sided unpaired t-test. Results::TSPO-KO mice exhibited more severe pulmonary inflammation in response to LPS-induced ALI. TSPO deficiency resulted in enhanced activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome pathway, promoting more proinflammatory cytokine production of macrophages in LPS-injured lung tissue, including interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-18, and macrophage inflammatory protein (MIP)-2. Mitochondria in TSPO-KO macrophages tended to depolarize in response to cellular stress. The increased production of mitochondrial damage-associated molecular pattern led to enhanced mitochondrial membrane depolarization and pyroptosis in TSPO-KO cells. Conclusion::TSPO may be the key regulator of cellular pyroptosis, and it plays a vital protective role in ARDS occurrence and development.