To review the clinical characteristics, short-term outcomes, and risk factors of patients with infective endocarditis(IE) who underwent surgical treatment at a single center, and to summarize treatment experience.

Purpose To explore the value of contrast-enhanced ultrasound(CEUS)in the differential diagnosis of gallbladder polypoid lesions(GPLs)(diameter≥10 mm).Materials and Methods A prospective enrollment of 229 patients with GPLs who underwent cholecystectomy in 17 hospitals from December 1 2021 to June 30 2024 was conducted to analyze the relationship between general data,conventional ultrasound,CEUS characteristics and the nature of GPLs.Multivariate Logistic regression was employed to identify independent risk factors for neoplastic polyps,the differential diagnostic value of different indicators was compared.Results Among 229 patients with GPLs,there were 108 cases of cholesterol polyps,102 cases of adenoma and 19 cases of gallbladder cancer.Age(Z=-4.476,P<0.001),polyp number(χ2=15.561,P<0.001),diameter(Z=-8.149,P<0.001),echogenicity(χ2=9.241,P=0.010),vascularity(χ2=23.107,P<0.001),enhancement intensity(χ2=47.610,P<0.001),enhancement pattern(χ2=6.468,P=0.011),vascular type(χ2=84.470,P<0.001),integrity of gallbladder wall(χ2=7.662,P=0.006)and stalk width(Z=-9.831,P<0.001)between cholesterol polyps and neoplastic polyps were statistically significant.Age,location,diameter,echogenicity,enhancement pattern,vascular type and stalk width between adenoma and gallbladder cancer were statistically significant(Z=-4.333,-3.902,-5.042,all P<0.05).Multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that hyper-enhancement,branched vascular type and stalk width were independent risk factors for neoplastic polyps(OR=4.563,5.770,3.075,all P<0.001).The combination of independent risk factors was better than single factor and diameter in the differential diagnosis of cholesterol polyps and neoplastic polyps(all P<0.01).Conclusion CEUS can effectively identify the nature of GPLs and provide a valuable imaging reference for the selection of treatment methods.

Traumatic cerebrospinal fluid leakage commonly presents in traumatic brain injury patients, and it may lead to complications such as meningitis, ventriculitis, brain abscess, subdural hematoma or tension pneumocephalus. When misdiagnosed or inappropriately treated, traumatic cerebrospinal fluid leakage may result in severe complications and may be life-threatening. Some traumatic cerebrospinal fluid leakage has concealed manifestations and is prone to misdiagnosis. Due to different sites and mechanisms of trauma and degree of cerebrospinal fluid leak, treatments for traumatic cerebrospinal fluid leakage varies greatly. Hence, the Craniocerebral Trauma Professional Group of Neurosurgery Branch of Chinese Medical Association and the Neurological Injury Professional Group of Trauma Branch of Chinese Medical Association organized relevant experts to formulate the " Chinese expert consensus on the diagnosis and treatment of traumatic cerebrospinal fluid leakage in adults ( version 2023)" based on existing clinical evidence and experience. The consensus consisted of 16 recommendations, covering the leakage diagnosis, localization, treatments, and intracranial infection prevention, so as to standardize the diagnosis and treatment of traumatic cerebrospinal fluid leakage and improve the overall prognosis of the patients.

Recent studies have shown that acute blood glucose elevation in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) suggests a poor prognosis. To investigate the effect of fasting blood glucose (FBG) on the risk of heart failure (HF) and left ventricular systolic dysfunction (LVSD) in non-diabetic patients undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for acute STEMI, we retrospectively recruited consecutive non-diabetic patients who underwent primary PCI for STEMI in our hospital from February 2003 to March 2015. The patients were divided into two groups according to the FBG level. A total of 623 patients were recruited with an age of 61.3 ± 12.9 years, of whom 514 (82.5%) were male. The HF risk (odds ratio 3.401, 95% confidence interval (CI) 2.144-5.395, P < 0.001) was significantly increased in patients with elevated FBG than those with normal FBG. Elevated FBG was also independently related to LVSD (β 1.513, 95%CI 1.282-1.785, P < 0.001) in a multiple logistics regression analysis. In conclusion, elevated FBG was independently associated with 30-day HF and LVSD risk in non-diabetic patients undergoing primary PCI for STEMI.
Aged ; Fasting ; Female ; Glucose ; Heart Failure ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Percutaneous Coronary Intervention ; Prognosis ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors ; ST Elevation Myocardial Infarction/surgery*

Objective: To observe the treatment of inflammatory myopathy-associatied cardiomyopathy and its impact on prognosis of disease. Methods: In this single-center retrospective study, 29 cases of inflammatory myopathy-associated cardiomyopathy were collected in Peking Union Medical College Hospital from 1999 to 2016. The clinical data and adverse events during follow up were documented. Among 29 patients there were 11 cases of polymyositis, 8 cases of dermatomyositis, 8 cases of overlap syndrome and 2 cases of nonspecific myositis.All the patients started with sufficiene prednisone (1-2 mg·kg^-1·d^-1). 7 cases received intravenous immune globulin, while 12 cases were prescribed with steroid pulse therapy, 16 cases with methotrexate, 15 cases with cyclophosphamide, 6 cases with cyclosporine A, while 11 cases with combination of immune suppressors (methotrexate plus cyclophosphamide or cyclosporine A). After a median follow up of 4.8 years (2 month to 15 years), 14 cases died including 9 of cardiac death. Patients with cardiac deaths had lower usage percentages of intravenous gamma globulin (0 vs. 7/20, P=0.05) and steroid pulse therapy (1/9 vs. 11/20, P=0.043) than controls. Comparing with controls, patients in the group of adverse events were more prone to choose methotrexate alone rather than combination of immune suppressors (all-cause death: 1/14 vs. 8/15, P=0.014; cardiac death: 0 vs. 9/20, P=0.027). Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showed significant difference of survival rates between patients with combination of immune suppressors and controls (Log Rank χ²=6.001, HR=7.58, P=0.014), as well as between patients with β receptor blockers and controls (Log Rank χ²=4.589, HR=2.95, P=0.032). Conclusions We recommend a management strategy that emphasize both primary disease controlling and cardiac remodeling improvement in patients with inflammatory myopathy-associated cardiomyopathy. On the basis of sufficient glucocorticoids, intravenous gamma globulin, steroid pulse therapy, combination of methotrexate plus other immune suppressants, and β receptor blockers were worthy to be considered.

Immunotherapy of malignant tumors has become a hot spot in the field of cancer research and treatment, bringing new hope to patients with advanced cancer. Activation of molecular programmer death protein-1 and T lymphocyte-associated antigen 4-related signaling pathways at the immunological checkpoint can inhibit T lymphocyte activation and thereby block the inflammatory response. Tumor cells achieve immune escape by activating the molecular pathways associated with immune checkpoints. The immune checkpoint inhibitor can wake up T lymphocytes and enhance the body's clearance of tumor cells. However, the role of immune checkpoint inhibitors is not specific to tumor cells, and it can cause side effects of multiple systems including the cardiovascular system while killing tumor cells. We will summarize the relevant cardiac side effects and give advice on how to manage it.

Objective: To observe the relationship between impaired myocardial untwisting and left ventricular diastolic dysfunction in patients with autoimmune diseases (AD). Methods: In this retrospective study, 95 AD patients (27 males, (38.6±14.2) years old) were enrolled as AD group and 71 gender and age matched healthy subjects (24 males, (37.6±12.2) years old) were enrolled as control group, all underwent transthoracic echocardiography and two-dimensional speckle-tracking echocardiography (STE) in our hospital between January 2014 and June 2018. Left ventricular untwisting and diastolic function parameters were measured. Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to identify related factors of left ventricular diastolic dysfunction in AD patients. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to identify the diagnosis value of untwisting parameters for left ventricular diastolic dysfunction in AD patients. Results: Compared with control group, left ventricular ejection fraction was lower (58(47, 66)% vs. 67 (62, 71) %, P<0.001), E/e′ was higher (10.78 (7.28, 13.65) vs. 6.30 (5.55, 7.25) , P<0.001), isovolumic relaxation time was longer (73.5 (56.5, 88.0) ms vs. 62.0 (58.0, 68.5) ms, P<0.001),and untwist slope during isovolumic relaxation period (USIR) was lower (31.92 (14.09, 54.92) °/s vs. 59.90 (40.09, 87.18) °/s, P<0.001) in AD group than in control group. Multiple logistic regression analysis showed heart rate (OR=0.885, 95%CI 0.840-0.931, P<0.001), E/e′ (OR=0.655, 95%CI 0.537-0.798, P<0.001) and USIR (OR=0.986, 95%CI 0.974-0.998, P=0.020) were independently related with left ventricular diastolic dysfunction in AD patients. ROC curve showed that area under the curve (AUC) was 0.919 (P<0.001), sensitivity was 87.6%, and specificity was 88.7%, when combining the heart rate, E/e′, and USIR as assessment parameters for the diagnosis of left ventricular diastolic dysfunction in AD patients at a cutoff of 0.51. Conclusions Impairment of myocardial untwisting indicates the presence of early stage left ventricular diastolic dysfunction in AD patients. USIR may be a sensitive parameter to evaluate early stage left ventricular diastolic dysfunction in AD patients.

Objective To investigate the effect of long non-coding RNA F19 (lncRNA F19) on secondary brain injury following traumatic brain injury (TBI) in mice. Methods (1) A total of 96 C57BL/6J male wild-type mice were divided into sham group, sham+control lentivirus group, sham+F19 lentivirus group, TBI group, TBI+control lentivirus group and TBI+F19 lentivirus group according to the random number table. Each group consisted of two subgroups of 1 day and 3 days after TBI, with eight mice per subgroup. The expression and silence efficiency of lncRNA F19 were detected. ( 2 ) A total of 96 C57BL/6J male wild-type mice were divided into sham group, TBI+control lentivirus group and TBI + F19 lentivirus group according to the random number table. Each group consisted of two subgroups of 1 day and 3 days after TBI, with 16 mice per subgroup. The effect of lncRNA F19 on neuronal apoptosis after TBI was recorded. The mice TBI model was established using the controlled cortical damage method (CCI). The lncRNA F19 lentivirus or control lentivirus were administrated by intracerebroventricular injection 5 days before injury. The expressions of lncRNA F19 ( 2 -ΔΔct ) were detected by real-time quantitative PCR ( qRT-PCR ) at 1 day and 3 days after injury. The Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4), B lymphocyte tumor-2 (Bcl-2) and Bcl-2 related protein (Bax) expressions were detected by Western blot. The TUNEL was used to detect apoptosis around the traumatic lesions. Results From the first day after injury, both in the sham operation and TBI groups, the control lentivirus had no effect on the level of lncRAN F19 (P >0. 05). One day after injury, compared with sham +control lentivirus group, the levels of lncRNA F19 in sham + F19 lentivirus group were significantly decreased (0. 07 ± 0. 07:0. 93 ± 0. 17);compared with TBI+control lentivirus group, levels of lncRNA F19 in TBI+F19 lentivirus group were significantly decreased (2. 91 ± 1. 18:0. 52 ± 0. 32) (P<0. 05). There were significantly lower protein levels of TLR4 (0. 51 ± 0. 13:0. 66 ± 0. 15), Bax (0. 45 ± 0. 06:0. 67 ± 0. 16), lower TUNEL-positive neurons ratio [(23. 55 ± 6. 85)％ : (31. 58 ± 7. 52)％], but higher protein levels of Bcl-2 (0. 76 ± 0. 16:0. 47 ± 0. 12) in TBI+F19 lentivirus group compared with the TBI+ control lentivirus group (P <0.05). Three days after injury, compared with sham + control lentivirus group, levels of lncRNA F19 in sham+F19 lentivirus group were significantly decreased (0. 11 ± 0. 09:0. 96 ± 0. 09); compared with TBI+control lentivirus group, levels of lncRNA F19 in TBI+F19 lentivirus group were significantly decreased (0. 54 ± 0. 24:3. 39 ± 0. 90) (P <0. 05). There were significantly lower protein levels of TLR4 (0. 60 ± 0. 20):(0. 85 ± 0. 09)], lower Bax (0. 60 ± 0. 12:0. 88 ±0. 21), lower TUNEL-positive neurons ratio [(29. 10 ± 7. 37)％ :(39. 22 ± 10. 64)％], but higher protein levels of Bcl-2 (0. 66 ± 0. 12:0. 35 ± 0. 16) in TBI+F19 lentivirus group compared with the TBI+control lentivirus group (P<0. 05). Conclusion Inhibition of lncRNA F19 can significantly reduce the TLR4-induced neuronal apoptosis in cortex after TBI in mice and alleviate reduce the secondary brain injury.

To observe the effect of different R‐R interval on left ventricular systolic function measured by echocardiography in patients with persistent atrial fibrillation ( AF ) ,and assess the clinical feasibility of the use of an index that is based on the RR1/RR2 ratio to accurately estimate left ventricular systolic function during AF . Methods T wenty‐one patients with persistent AF received echocardiographic examination ,left ventricular ejection fraction ( LVEF ) and stroke volume ( SV ) were recorded at least 10－20 consecutive cardiac cycles for each patient . T he effects of different R‐R intervals on LVEF and SV determined by echocardiography were analyzed . Bland‐Altman analysis was used to assess the correlation and agreement between the systolic parameters of a single beat method based on the ratio of preceding R‐R intervals approaching to 1 and the average value of multiple cardiac cycles as the golden standard . Results In the same patient with AF ,LVEF and SV measured in different cardiac cycles were unstable with great variation . LVEF and SV were not only correlated with heart rate ,showing significantly positive correlations with RR interval ( all r ＞ 0 .4 , P ＜ 0 .05 ) ; w hich were also affected by heart rate variability ,w hen the heart rate variability was high ( heart rate standard deviation ≥ 30 beats/min ) ,the measured SV was better correlated with RR 1/RR2 ( r :0 .581 vs 0 .835 , P ＝ 0 .009 ) . Bland‐Altman analysis showed excellent correlation and agreement between the LVEF and SV of a single beat with identical RR1and RR2 intervals and measured average values over all cardiac cycles ( r ＝0 .897 ,0 .918 ; all P ＜ 0 .001 ) . Conclusions LV systolic function is significantly correlated with RR interval and is also affected by heat rate variability . Single beat based on ratio of RR 1/RR2 to assess LV systolic function in patients with AF is as accurate as the time‐consuming method of averaging multiple cardiac cycles .

Objective: To evaluate the association between the ratio of early diastolic transmitral velocity to early diastolic mitral annular velocity (E/E') and left atrial pressure (LAP) estimated from invasive catheter measurements in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). Methods: A total of 46 consecutive patients with non-valvular AF and preserved left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) admitted in our department to receive the first radiofrequency ablation from May to July 2017 were included. All patients underwent echocardiography at 24-48 hours before radiofrequency ablation, and LAP was invasively measured during the ablation procedure. According to mean LAP, patients were divided into 2 groups of normal LAP (LAP≤12 mmHg(1 mmHg=0.133 kPa, n=31) and elevated LAP (LAP>12 mmHg, n=15). Linear correlation analysis was used to evaluate the relationship between E/E' and LAP. Results: E/E' correlated well with LAP (septal E/E' (E/E'_sep), r= 0.397, P=0.006; lateral E/E' (E/E'_lat), r=0.433, P=0.003; mean E/E' (E/E'_mean), r=0.431, P=0.003). Using receiver operating characteristic analysis, the optimal cut-off for E/E'_sep was 12.5 (sensitivity 73.3%, specificity 67.7%), E/E'_lat was 10.8 (sensitivity 80.0%, specificity 77.4%), E/E'_mean was 11.0 (sensitivity 86.7%, specificity 64.5%) to predict mean LAP>12 mmHg. Conclusion E/E', especially the E/E'_lat, is positively correlated with LAP in patients with AF and preserved LVEF, and may be used to estimate the diastolic function in AF patients with preserved LVEF.