Objective To evaluate the clinical characteristics of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infected patients with peripheral lung masses (PLMs), and to assess the diagnostic utility of contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) in differentiating benign and malignant PLMs. Methods A retrospective analysis was performed on the clinical data of 69 patients with PLM treated in Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center from January 2020 to December 2023. All patients underwent percutaneous biopsy, and were categorized into benign group (n＝36) and malignant group (n＝33). 25 patients were HIV-positive and 44 patients were HIV-negative. The clinical features and CEUS parameters in patients were compared across these groups. Results Patients with malignant masses were significantly older than those with benign masses (P＜0.05). In the malignant group, HIV-negative patients exhibited significantly larger tumor diameters compared to HIV-positive patients (P＜0.05); in the HIV-positive patients, no significant difference in tumor size was observed between benign and malignant masses. 19 patients underwent CEUS. 10 malignant masses, irrespective of HIV status (10 positive and 9 negative), commonly presented with indistinct margins, delayed enhancement, heterogeneous perfusion, and delayed peak enhancement on CEUS. 9 benign masses showed earlier peak enhancement compared to 10 malignant masses (P＜0.05); no significant differences were observed in the initiation and washout time of enhancement between benign and malignant masses. In HIV-positive patients, 5 benign masses frequently demonstrated discrepancies between CEUS findings and pathological results. Conclusions The clinical and CEUS characteristics were different between benign and malignant PLMs. However, CEUS shows limited accuracy in distinguishing benign and malignant PLMs, underscoring the need for pathological confirmation.

Objective: To investigate the timing of puberty onset among primary school students, so as to provide the reference data for early identification of children with suspected precocious puberty. Methods: A study was conducted from October 23 to November 7, 2023, involving 10 225 students(5 412 boys, 4 813 girls) from grade 1 to 6 of four campuses in Meiling Primary School in Yangzhou. Breast development in girls and external genitalia in boys was assessed via visual inspection and palpation, with pubertal stages classified using the Tanner staging method. Puberty onset timing was determined based on age/sex reference values from Chinese Han children s pubertal milestone indicators. Descriptive analysis was performed using SPSS 26.0. Results: The median age for testicular volume reaching 4 mL in boys was 10.49 years, while the median age for breast development onset in girls was 9.70 years. Among boys with testicular volume ≥4 mL, 16.6%( n =217) were identified as suspected early puberty cases; among girls with Tanner stage Ⅱ and Ⅲ, 123(9.4%) and 165(18.5%) showed earlier breast development than the reference range. Overall, 14.4% of students exhibited suspected precocious puberty. Conclusion The onset age of puberty for girls in primary schools of Yangzhou aligns with findings from other regions, while boys show earlier pubertal initiation.

Objective:To evaluate the efficacy and outcomes of early removal of lumen-apposing metal stent (LAMS) in the treatment of pancreatic wall-off necrosis (WON).Methods:A retrospective analysis was performed on 51 patients with WON who underwent endoscopic ultrasound (EUS)-guided transluminal drainage (ETD) and direct endoscopic necrosectomy (DEN) using LAMS at Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital from January 2018 to December 2022. Patients were divided into the early removal group (within two weeks, n=24) and the traditional removal group (after two weeks, n=27) based on the timing of LAMS removal. The short-term effects, safety and long-term outcomes of WON were compared between the two groups. Results:The technical success rate of LAMS placement in 51 patients reached 100%, and all patients underwent ETD and DEN. The median number of necrosectomy sessions in the early removal group was significantly lower than in the traditional removal group, 2.0 sessions vs 3.0 sessions and the difference was statistically significant ( P<0.05). Postoperatively, 15.7% of patients required percutaneous catheter drainage (PCD) and 5.9% required surgery, with no significant difference between the two groups. The clinical success rate and mortality rate in the early removal group were 79.2% and 8.3%, respectively, compared to 81.5% and 3.7% in the traditional removal group, with no statistically significant difference. In terms of safety, the early removal group exhibited a significantly lower rate of adverse events during stent retention with statistically significant difference (12.5% vs 37.0%, P<0.05) compared to the traditional removal group. A total of 46 patients were followed up for six months. In the early removal group, the rates of disease recurrence, need for endoscopic reintervention and occurrence of long-term complications were 20.0%, 10.0% and 20.0%, respectively. These rates did not show a significant increase compared to the traditional removal group, which were 7.7%, 3.8% and 38.5%, respectively, without significant differences between the groups. Conclusions:In the treatment of WON, early removal of LAMS is safe and effective to a certain extent. In comparison to the traditional practice of removing LAMS after two weeks, early removal does not reduce clinical success rates, nor does it increase the rates of disease-related mortality, recurrence, or long-term complications. On the contrary, it may reduce the occurrence of adverse events during stent retention and decrease the number of necrosectomy procedures subsequently.

Aim To explore the mechanism of Yanghe decoction-containing serum on the migration and inva-sion of MCF-7 breast cancer cells in a co-culture sys-tem with M2 tumor-associated macrophages(TAMs)based on the paracrine epidermal growth factor(EGF)/epidermal growth factor receptor(EGFR)sig-naling pathway.Methods The M2-type TAMs model was induced from THP-1 monocytic cell line through in vitro treatment with phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate(PMA)and recombinant human macrophage colony-stimulating factor(M-CSF).The MCF-7 cells were co-cultured with M2-type TAMs using a Transwell non-contact co-culture system to evaluate their effects on migration and invasion.Subsequently,the cells were intervened with serum containing Yanghe decoction,and the proliferation of MCF-7 cells was detected using the CCK-8 assay,while their lateral migration ability was assessed through scratch assays.The invasion and vertical migration abilities of the cells were evaluated separately using Transwell assays,and the concentra-tion of EGF was measured using ELISA.Finally,the expression of EGFR,MCP-1,and MMP9 proteins was detected using Western blot.Results Compared to the control group,Yanghe decoction-containing serum in-hibited the proliferation of MCF-7 cells before and after co-culture.The serum reduced the scratch healing a-bility before and after co-culture and decreased their migration and invasion abilities.Additionally,Yanghe decoction-containing serum reduced the levels of EGF before and after co-culture and decreased the expres-sion of EGFR,MCP-1,and MMP9 proteins before and after+co-culture.Conclusion Yanghe decoction-containing serum can inhibit the migration and invasion of breast cancer MCF-7 cells before and after co-cul-ture with M2 TAMs.This effect may be related to the inhibition of the EGF-EGFR signaling pathway.

Objective To examine the changing antimicrobial resistance profile of Enterobacter spp.isolates in 53 hospitals across China from 2015 t0 2021.Methods The clinical isolates of Enterobacter spp.were collected from 53 hospitals across China during 2015-2021 and tested for antimicrobial susceptibility using Kirby-Bauer method or automated testing systems according to the CHINET unified protocol.The results were interpreted according to the breakpoints issued by the Clinical & Laboratory Standards Institute(CLSI)in 2021(M100 31st edition)and analyzed with WHONET 5.6 software.Results A total of 37 966 Enterobacter strains were isolated from 2015 to 2021.The proportion of Enterobacter isolates among all clinical isolates showed a fluctuating trend over the 7-year period,overall 2.5％in all clinical isolates amd 5.7％in Enterobacterale strains.The most frequently isolated Enterobacter species was Enterobacter cloacae,accounting for 93.7％(35 571/37 966).The strains were mainly isolated from respiratory specimens(44.4±4.6)％,followed by secretions/pus(16.4±2.3)％and urine(16.0±0.9)％.The strains from respiratory samples decreased slightly,while those from sterile body fluids increased over the 7-year period.The Enterobacter strains were mainly isolated from inpatients(92.9％),and only(7.1±0.8)％of the strains were isolated from outpatients and emergency patients.The patients in surgical wards contributed the highest number of isolates(24.4±2.9)％compared to the inpatients in any other departement.Overall,≤ 7.9％of the E.cloacae strains were resistant to amikacin,tigecycline,polymyxin B,imipenem or meropenem,while ≤5.6％of the Enterobacter asburiae strains were resistant to these antimicrobial agents.E.asburiae showed higher resistance rate to polymyxin B than E.cloacae(19.7％vs 3.9％).Overall,≤8.1％of the Enterobacter gergoviae strains were resistant to tigecycline,amikacin,meropenem,or imipenem,while 10.5％of these strains were resistant to polycolistin B.The overall prevalence of carbapenem-resistant Enterobacter was 10.0％over the 7-year period,but showing an upward trend.The resistance profiles of Enterobacter isolates varied with the department from which they were isolated and whether the patient is an adult or a child.The prevalence of carbapenem-resistant E.cloacae was the highest in the E.cloacae isolates from ICU patients.Conclusions The results of the CHINET Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance Program indicate that the proportion of Enterobacter strains in all clinical isolates fluctuates slightly over the 7-year period from 2015 to 2021.The Enterobacter strains showed increasing resistance to multiple antimicrobial drugs,especially carbapenems over the 7-year period.

Objective:To investigate the expression level and clinical significance of HMGB1-TLR4-IL-23-IL-17A axis in se-rum of patients with psoriasis vulgaris.Methods:The expression levels of HMGB1,TLR4,IL-23 and IL-17A in serum of 60 patients with psoriasis vulgaris and 30 healthy volunteers were detected by ELISA.In addition,the differences of cytokines expression levels between moderate and severe psoriasis patients were compared,and the correlation between the expression levels of cytokines and the disease severity expressed by psoriasis area and severity index(PASI)were analyzed.The differences of expression levels of HMGB1-TLR4-IL-23-IL-17A axis before and after IL-17A inhibitor induction treatment were detected and compared in 22 moderate to severe psoriasis patients reached PASI75 and higher level.Results:The expression levels of serum HMGB1,TLR4,IL-23 and IL-17A in patients with psoriasis were obviously higher than those of healthy controls.Moreover,the expression levels of serum HMGB1,TLR4,IL-23 and IL-17A were even elevated in severe patients compared with moderate patients,and were positively correlated with PASI score.After induction treatment of IL-17A inhibitor,the expression levels of HMGB1-TLR4-IL-23-IL-17A aixs decreased significantly in serum of patients with psoriasis.Conclusion:HMGB1-TLR4-IL-23-IL-17A axis is highly expressed in patients with psoriasis vulgaris,and positively related to the disease severity,which may be involved in the disease process of psoriasis vulgaris and provide a new idea for the immunotherapy of psoriasis.

Objective:To analyze the efficacy and influencing factors of cyclosporine(CsA)alone in the treatment of children with acquired aplastic anemia(AA).Methods:The clinical data of children diagnosed with AA and treated with CsA alone from January 1,2016 to December 31,2020 in the Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University were collected,and the efficacy and influencing factors of CsA treatment were evaluated.Results:Among the 119 patients,there were 62 male and 57 female,with a median age of 7 years and 1 month.There were 45 cases of very severe AA(VSAA),47 cases of severe AA(SAA),and 27 cases of non-severe AA(NSAA).At 6 months after treatment,the efficacy of VSAA was lower than that of SAA and NSAA,and there was a statistical difference(P＜0.01).6 cases died early,16 cases relapsed,2 cases progressed to AML and ALL.The results of univariate analysis showed that the high proportion of lymphocyte in the bone marrow at 6 months was an adverse factor for the efficacy of CsA,while high PLT count was a protective factor(P=0.008,P=0.002).The ROC curve showed that the cut-off values of PLT count and the proportion of bone marrow lymphocyte at 6 months were 16.5 × 109/L,68.5％,respectively.Multivariate analysis showed that the high proportion of lymphocyte in bone marrow at 6 months was an independent adverse factor for IST(P=0.020,OR=0.062),and high PLT count was a protective factor(P=0.044,OR=1.038).At 3 months of treatment,CsA response and NSAA were the risk factor for recurrence(P=0.001,0.031).Conclusion:The efficacy of NSAA was higher than that of SAA and VSAA after 6 months of treatment with CsA alone.A high PLT count at the initial diagnosis was a good factor for the effectiveness of CsA,and a high proportion of bone marrow lymphocyte was an unfavorable factor.CsA response at 3 months and NSAA were risk factors for recurrence.

Objective:To explore the gene mutations of Langerhans cell histiocytosis in children,and to analyze the correlation of BRAF V600E mutation with clinical features and prognosis of LCH,so as to provide reference for clinical diagnosis and treatment. Methods:Fluorescence PCR was used to detect gene mutations in paraffin-embedded tissue samples from 78 children with LCH,and the correlation of BRAF V600E mutation with clinical characteristics and prognosis of LCH in children was analyzed. Results:Among the 78 children,41 cases (52.6％) had BRAF V600E mutation,8 cases (10.3％) had MAP2K1 mutation,1 case (1.3％) had BRAF Exon 12 mutation,1 case (1.3％) had ARAF mutation,and 1 case (1.3％) had PIK3CA mutation. BRAF V600E mutation was not significantly correlated with sex,age,multisystem involvement,risk-organ involvement,CNS-risk lesions,and early treatment response in children with LCH (P>0.05),and it was also not significantly correlated with the recurrence and event-free survival (EFS) of children with LCH (P>0.05). Conclusion:LCH is an inflammatory myeloid tumor. BRAF V600E mutation is not correlated with clinical features,early treatment response,recurrence and prognosis of LCH.

Objective:To compare the efficacy of endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) and modified-endoscopic mucosal resection (M-EMR) for G1 rectal neuroendocrine tumors (RNETs) .Methods:Data of 121 patients with pathologically confirmed G1 RNETs treated with ESD ( n=105) or M-EMR ( n=16) in Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital from January 2017 to September 2020 were retrospectively analyzed. The complete resection rate, complication incidence, hospital stay, treatment cost and other indicators of the two groups were compared by using inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW). Results:There were significant differences in tumor number ( χ2=8.76, P=0.003), tumor invasion depth ( χ2=6.96, P=0.008), utilization of metal clips [82.9% (87/105) VS 93.8% (15/16), χ2=8.78, P=0.003], number of metal clips ( χ2=8.41, P=0.016), hemostasis using hot clamp [78.1% (82/105) VS 18.7% (3/16), χ2=20.64, P<0.001], traction procedure [2.9% (3/105) VS 18.7% (3/16), χ2=4.45, P=0.035] and treatment cost (17 568.6 ± 8 911.0 yuan VS 8 120.8±1 528.2 yuan, t=3.65, P<0.001) between the ESD group and the M-EMR group. After verifying the stability of the results using IPTW sensitivity analysis, there was still significant difference in the treatment cost ( t=2.07, P<0.001). Conclusion:Both ESD and M-EMR demonstrate comparable efficacy in treating G1 RNETs; however, M-EMR exhibites lower treatment costs.

Objective:To assess the safety and efficacy of single metal clip traction-assisted endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) for the treatment of duodenal lesions.Methods:Data of 45 patients with duodenal lesions who underwent ESD in Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, the Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School between April 2021 and October 2022 were retrospectively recruited. Among them, 19 patients received single metal clip traction- assisted ESD while 26 patients received traditional ESD. The incidence of complications, dissection speed, en bloc resection rate and R0 resection rate of the two groups were mainly observed. Secondary observation indexes included specimen longer diameter, shorter diameter and area.Results:All 45 procedures were successfully completed, with the procedure time of 44.0 (27.0, 67.0) min for the single metal clip traction- assisted ESD group and 34.0 (24.0, 43.5) min for the traditional ESD group ( Z=-1.678, P=0.093). In the single metal clip traction-assisted ESD group, 2 cases (10.5%) had complications, including 1 intraoperative perforation and 1 postoperative bleeding (approximately 20 mL). There were three cases (11.5%) of complications in the traditional ESD group, including 1 case of postoperative bleeding (approximately 50 mL) and 2 cases of postoperative perforation, with no significant intergroup variation ( P=1.000). The dissection speed of the single metal clip traction-assisted ESD group was 16.0 (11.0, 25.8) mm 2/min, significantly larger than that of the traditional ESD group [5.3 (2.2, 21.1) mm 2/min, Z=-2.287, P=0.022]. The en block resection rate and R0 resection rate of the single metal clip traction-assisted ESD group were both 100.0% (19/19). Additionally, the specimen longer diameter, shorter diameter and area of the single metal clip traction-assisted ESD group were 34.0 (22.0, 45.0) mm, 25.0 (20.0, 34.0) mm, and 745.8 (380.0, 1 342.4) mm 2, respectively, significantly larger than those of the traditional ESD group of 20.0 (12.8, 30.3) mm ( Z=-3.119, P=0.002), 14.0 (8.8, 21.3) mm ( Z=-3.417, P=0.001), 190.4 (84.0, 498.7) mm 2 ( Z=-3.275, P=0.001). Conclusion:Single metal clip traction is safe and effective for duodenal ESD, demonstrating a notable improvement in the dissection speed, especially suitable for large duodenal lesions.