BACKGROUND: The available evidence regarding the benefits of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) on patients receiving dialysis with coronary artery disease (CAD) is limited and inconsistent. This study aimed to evaluate the association between PCI and clinical outcomes as compared with medical therapy alone in patients undergoing dialysis with CAD in China. METHODS: This multicenter, retrospective study was conducted in 30 tertiary medical centers across 12 provinces in China from January 2015 to June 2021 to include patients on dialysis with CAD. The primary outcome was major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE), defined as a composite of cardiovascular death, non-fatal myocardial infarction, and non-fatal stroke. Secondary outcomes included all-cause death, the individual components of MACE, and Bleeding Academic Research Consortium criteria types 2, 3, or 5 bleeding. Multivariable Cox proportional hazard models were used to assess the association between PCI and outcomes. Inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) and propensity score matching (PSM) were performed to account for potential between-group differences. RESULTS: Of the 1146 patients on dialysis with significant CAD, 821 (71.6%) underwent PCI. After a median follow-up of 23.0 months, PCI was associated with a 43.0% significantly lower risk for MACE (33.9% [ n  = 278] vs . 43.7% [ n  = 142]; adjusted hazards ratio 0.57, 95% confidence interval 0.45-0.71), along with a slightly increased risk for bleeding outcomes that did not reach statistical significance (11.1% vs . 8.3%; adjusted hazards ratio 1.31, 95% confidence interval, 0.82-2.11). Furthermore, PCI was associated with a significant reduction in all-cause and cardiovascular mortalities. Subgroup analysis did not modify the association of PCI with patient outcomes. These primary findings were consistent across IPTW, PSM, and competing risk analyses. CONCLUSION This study indicated that PCI in patients on dialysis with CAD was significantly associated with lower MACE and mortality when comparing with those with medical therapy alone, albeit with a slightly increased risk for bleeding events that did not reach statistical significance.
Humans ; Percutaneous Coronary Intervention/methods* ; Male ; Female ; Coronary Artery Disease/drug therapy* ; Retrospective Studies ; Renal Dialysis/methods* ; Middle Aged ; Aged ; China ; Proportional Hazards Models ; Treatment Outcome

Mesangial cell proliferation is an early pathological indicator of diabetic nephropathy (DN). Growing evidence highlights the pivotal role of paired-related homeobox 1 (Prrx1), a key regulator of cellular proliferation and tissue differentiation, in various disease pathogenesis. Notably, Prrx1 is highly expressed in mesangial cells under DN conditions. Both in vitro and in vivo studies have demonstrated that Prrx1 overexpression promotes mesangial cell proliferation and contributes to renal fibrosis in db/m mice. Conversely, Prrx1 knockdown markedly suppresses hyperglycemia-induced mesangial cell proliferation and mitigates renal fibrosis in db/db mice. Mechanistically, Prrx1 directly interacts with the Yes-associated protein 1 (YAP) promoter, leading to the upregulation of YAP expression. This upregulation promotes mesangial cell proliferation and exacerbates renal fibrosis. These findings emphasize the crucial role of Prrx1 upregulation in high glucose-induced mesangial cell proliferation, ultimately leading to renal fibrosis in DN. Therefore, targeting Prrx1 to downregulate its expression presents a promising therapeutic strategy for treating renal fibrosis associated with DN.

Objective:To establish an immortalized human keloid fibroblasts(KFbs) cell line and identify its characteristics and functions.Methods:The specimen was obtained from a 32-year-old female patient who underwent surgical resection of an earlobe keloid at Peking University Third Hospital in November 2019. The keloid tissue obtained was removed from the subcutaneous fat and epidermis. It was then separated and cultured using the tissue sticking method to obtain primary KFbs, which were passaged using the trypsin digestion method. After the primary KFbs were infected with an SV40 lentivirus, purified by puromycin, and passaged, a human KFbs cell line was established. Chromosomal karyotype analysis, short tandem repeat (STR) profiling, and gender gene detection were conducted to identify the primary KFbs and the cell line. The CCK-8 method was used to assess the proliferation ability of the cells. Quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) and Western blotting were used to detect the mRNA and protein expression levels of specific genes (PGK1, ENO1, LDHA, GLUT1, TGF-β1, COL1, COL3, FN). The comparative analysis of relevant data between primary KFbs and the cell line was conducted using t-test, and P<0.05 indicated statistical significance. Results:The morphology of both the primary KFbs and the cell line was typically spindle-shaped. The cell line morphology was basically similar to that of the primary KFbs, which were continuously cultured and passaged for 20 generations. The gender gene(Amelogenin) detection showed both were females. The chromosome karyotyping of the primary KFbs and cell line was satisfactory, maintaining the fundamental characteristics of normal cells without undergoing malignant transformation. The STR identification results showed that no multiple alleles were found in the cell line, indicating a normal cell genotype. Furthermore, the cell line did not match any entries in known cell databases. After 24, 48, and 72 hours of culture, the proliferation ability of the cell line increased by 76.1%, 125.8%, and 60.3% compared to primary KFbs. The proliferation rates of the cell line were significantly faster than those of primary KFbs ( P<0.05). The mRNA and protein expression levels of the aforementioned genes in the cell line showed no significant changes compared to the primary KFbs ( P>0.05). Conclusion:An immortalized human KFbs cell line was successfully established, showing no significant changes in morphology, characterization, and function, while exhibiting a faster proliferation rate compared to that of primary KFbs.

Objective:To establish an immortalized human keloid fibroblasts(KFbs) cell line and identify its characteristics and functions.Methods:The specimen was obtained from a 32-year-old female patient who underwent surgical resection of an earlobe keloid at Peking University Third Hospital in November 2019. The keloid tissue obtained was removed from the subcutaneous fat and epidermis. It was then separated and cultured using the tissue sticking method to obtain primary KFbs, which were passaged using the trypsin digestion method. After the primary KFbs were infected with an SV40 lentivirus, purified by puromycin, and passaged, a human KFbs cell line was established. Chromosomal karyotype analysis, short tandem repeat (STR) profiling, and gender gene detection were conducted to identify the primary KFbs and the cell line. The CCK-8 method was used to assess the proliferation ability of the cells. Quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) and Western blotting were used to detect the mRNA and protein expression levels of specific genes (PGK1, ENO1, LDHA, GLUT1, TGF-β1, COL1, COL3, FN). The comparative analysis of relevant data between primary KFbs and the cell line was conducted using t-test, and P<0.05 indicated statistical significance. Results:The morphology of both the primary KFbs and the cell line was typically spindle-shaped. The cell line morphology was basically similar to that of the primary KFbs, which were continuously cultured and passaged for 20 generations. The gender gene(Amelogenin) detection showed both were females. The chromosome karyotyping of the primary KFbs and cell line was satisfactory, maintaining the fundamental characteristics of normal cells without undergoing malignant transformation. The STR identification results showed that no multiple alleles were found in the cell line, indicating a normal cell genotype. Furthermore, the cell line did not match any entries in known cell databases. After 24, 48, and 72 hours of culture, the proliferation ability of the cell line increased by 76.1%, 125.8%, and 60.3% compared to primary KFbs. The proliferation rates of the cell line were significantly faster than those of primary KFbs ( P<0.05). The mRNA and protein expression levels of the aforementioned genes in the cell line showed no significant changes compared to the primary KFbs ( P>0.05). Conclusion:An immortalized human KFbs cell line was successfully established, showing no significant changes in morphology, characterization, and function, while exhibiting a faster proliferation rate compared to that of primary KFbs.

Background::Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has potential risks for both clinically worsening pulmonary hypertension (PH) and increasing mortality. However, the data regarding the protective role of vaccination in this population are still lacking. This study aimed to assess the safety of approved vaccination for patients with PH.Methods::In this national prospective cohort study, patients diagnosed with PH (World Health Organization [WHO] groups 1 and 4) were enrolled from October 2021 to April 2022. The primary outcome was the composite of PH-related major adverse events. We used an inverse probability weighting (IPW) approach to control for possible confounding factors in the baseline characteristics of patients.Results::In total, 706 patients with PH participated in this study (mean age, 40.3 years; mean duration after diagnosis of PH, 8.2 years). All patients received standardized treatment for PH in accordance with guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of PH in China. Among them, 278 patients did not receive vaccination, whereas 428 patients completed the vaccination series. None of the participants were infected with COVID-19 during our study period. Overall, 398 patients received inactivated severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) vaccine, whereas 30 received recombinant protein subunit vaccine. After adjusting for baseline covariates using the IPW approach, the odds of any adverse events due to PH in the vaccinated group did not statistically significantly increase (27/428 [6.3%] vs. 24/278 [8.6%], odds ratio = 0.72, P = 0.302). Approximately half of the vaccinated patients reported at least one post-vaccination side effects, most of which were mild, including pain at the injection site (159/428, 37.1%), fever (11/428, 2.6%), and fatigue (26/428, 6.1%). Conclusions::COVID-19 vaccination did not significantly augment the PH-related major adverse events for patients with WHO groups 1 and 4 PH, although there were some tolerable side effects. A large-scale randomized controlled trial is warranted to confirm this finding. The final approval of the COVID-19 vaccination for patients with PH as a public health strategy is promising.

Liver disease is one of the most important health problems around the world， and early diagnosis and timely intervention and treatment are the key to preventing liver-related morbidity and mortality rates. The development of endoscopic techniques has provided new diagnostic and intervention methods for liver diseases. This article reviews the application and development of endoscopic techniques in liver diseases from the following aspects： the technical advances and advantages of endoscopic ultrasound-guided liver biopsy； the application and development of endoscopic techniques in the treatment of portal hypertension caused by liver abscess/hepatic cyst and liver diseases， as well as interventional techniques in the treatment of liver tumors； the efficacy and prospects of the endoscopic techniques for weight loss， which are relatively new in China， in the treatment of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease/nonalcoholic steatohepatitis. Endoscopic techniques may hold promise for wide clinical application and exploration in in liver-related diseases in China， so as to provide more options for patients and doctors.

Retrograde adeno-associated viruses (AAVs) are capable of infecting the axons of projection neurons and serve as a powerful tool for the anatomical and functional characterization of neural networks. However, few retrograde AAV capsids have been shown to offer access to cortical projection neurons across different species and enable the manipulation of neural function in non-human primates (NHPs). Here, we report the development of a novel retrograde AAV capsid, AAV-DJ8R, which efficiently labeled cortical projection neurons after local administration into the striatum of mice and macaques. In addition, intrastriatally injected AAV-DJ8R mediated opsin expression in the mouse motor cortex and induced robust behavioral alterations. Moreover, AAV-DJ8R markedly increased motor cortical neuron firing upon optogenetic light stimulation after viral delivery into the macaque putamen. These data demonstrate the usefulness of AAV-DJ8R as an efficient retrograde tracer for cortical projection neurons in rodents and NHPs and indicate its suitability for use in conducting functional interrogations.
Animals ; Haplorhini ; Axons ; Motor Neurons ; Interneurons ; Macaca ; Dependovirus/genetics* ; Genetic Vectors

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the efficacy， safety and cost-effectiveness of generic drugs and original drugs of voriconazole. METHODS The information of patients who used voriconazole generic drugs selected in National Centralized Drug Procurement （generic drug group） or non-selected original drugs （original drug group） in the treatment of fungal infection was collected from the our hospital. The propensity score matching was carried out to eliminate bias. The comprehensive efficacy was evaluated according to clinical efficacy， image findings and microbiological test， and stratified analysis of different populations was conducted based on fungal species， underlying diseases， etc.， the efficacy of different stratifications was evaluated. Evaluation of safety was performed by using the incidence of adverse reactions. The total cost， defined daily doses （DDDs） and defined daily dose cost （DDDc） were used to evaluate the cost-effectiveness. RESULTS A total of 436 patients were included， and there were 190 patients in each group after matching. In terms of efficacy， the effective rates of voriconazole generic drugs and original drugs were 62.63% and 59.47% （P＝0.528）； in terms of safety， the incidence of adverse reactions caused by generic drugs and original drugs of voriconazole was 13.68% and 7.89%， respectively（P＝0.069）. In terms of cost-effectiveness， the average total cost of generic drugs was 4 636.26 yuan， and that of original drugs was 8 613.20 yuan （P＜0.001）. After the implementation of National Centralized Drug Procurement， replacement rate of generic drugs increased to 87.30%， and DDDc decreased by 59.08%. CONCLUSIONS The efficacy and safety of voriconazole generic drugs are similar to those of original drugs in the treatment of fungal infection， and it is more cost-effective in terms of treatment cost.

Objective:To study the changes in serum small molecule metabolites after brucella infection in humans using untargeted metabolomics methods, and screening representative biomarkers. Methods:A total of 109 serum samples collected from January 2019 to December 2021 at the Brucellosis Clinic of the Baotou Center for Disease Control and Prevention were divided into acute phase group ( n = 40), chronic phase group ( n = 35) of brucellosis, and healthy group ( n = 34) based on clinical diagnosis. Ultra-high performance liquid chromatography quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry technology was used to test serum samples and screen for differential metabolites. Receiver operating characteristic curve was used to evaluate the predictive ability of differential metabolites for brucellosis. Enriched pathways were screened using Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway to identify metabolic pathways significantly affected. Results:A total of 17 differential metabolites were screened between the acute phase group and the healthy group, and 12 differential metabolites were screened between the chronic phase group and the healthy group. There were a total of 5 differential metabolites (oleamide, linoleamide, stearamide, palmitoleic acid, α-linolenic acid) statistically significant among the three groups ( F = 16.84, 17.52, 14.31, 13.01, 20.76, P < 0.05). KEGG pathway analysis showed that the differential metabolites in the acute phase group were enriched in metabolic pathways such as ether lipid metabolism, glycerophosphate metabolism, sphingolipid signal and sphingolipid metabolism. The differential metabolites in the chronic phase group were enriched in metabolic pathways such as glycerophosphate metabolism, ether lipid metabolism, protein digestion and absorption metabolism. Conclusion:Untargeted metabolomics methods can screen out serum small molecule metabolites that undergo changes after brucella infection in the human body, including oleamide, linoleamide, stearamide, palmitoleic acid, α-linolenic acid can serve as potential biomarkers to distinguish brucellosis patients from healthy people.

Objective To investigate the risk factors of in-hospital mortality and establish a risk prediction model for patients receiving venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation(VA-ECMO).Methods We retrospectively collected the data of 302 patients receiving VA-ECMO in ICU of 3 hospitals in Guangdong Province between January,2015 and January,2022 using a convenience sampling method.The patients were divided into a derivation cohort(201 cases)and a validation cohort(101 cases).Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to analyze the risk factors for in-hospital death of these patients,based on which a risk prediction model was established in the form of a nomogram.The receiver operator characteristic(ROC)curve,calibration curve and clinical decision curve were used to evaluate the discrimination ability,calibration and clinical validity of this model.Results The in-hospital mortality risk prediction model was established based the risk factors including hypertension(OR=3.694,95%CI:1.582-8.621),continuous renal replacement therapy(OR=9.661,95%CI:4.103-22.745),elevated Na2+ level(OR=1.048,95%CI:1.003-1.095)and increased hemoglobin level(OR=0.987,95%CI:0.977-0.998).In the derivation cohort,the area under the ROC curve(AUC)of this model was 0.829(95%CI:0.770-0.889),greater than those of the 4 single factors(all AUC<0.800),APACHE Ⅱ Score(AUC=0.777,95%CI:0.714-0.840)and the SOFA Score(AUC=0.721,95%CI:0.647-0.796).The results of internal validation showed that the AUC of the model was 0.774(95%CI:0.679-0.869),and the goodness of fit test showed a good fitting of this model(χ2=4.629,P>0.05).Conclusion The risk prediction model for in-hospital mortality of patients on VA-ECMO has good differentiation,calibration and clinical effectiveness and outperforms the commonly used disease severity scoring system,and thus can be used for assessing disease severity and prognostic risk level in critically ill patients.