Objective To develop a risk assessment scale for immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI)-associated myocarditis based on multidisciplinary collaboration, and to evaluate its diagnostic performance. Methods Based on multidisciplinary cooperation, integrating clinical experience from oncology and cardiology, literature data, and patient conditions, a risk assessment scale for ICI-associated myocarditis was developed. A total of 101 patients with malignancies who received immunotherapy at Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, from October 2020 to October 2024 were included as the validation cohort. Patients were stratified into low-risk (0-1 point), medium-risk (2-4 points), and high-risk (≥5 points) groups based on their scale scores. The association between pretictive risk stratifications and actual assessment results was assessed using the Cox proportional hazards regression model. The predictive value of the scale for ICI-associated myocarditis was evaluated using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. Agreement between the scale scores and actual assessment results was assessed using Cohen’s Kappa coefficient. Results Based on the scale pretictive results, 28(27.7%), 8(7.9%), 65(64.4%) patients were at low risk, medium risk, and high risk for ICI-related myocarditis, respectively; however, 46(45.5%), 8(7.9%), 47(46.5%) were at low risk, medium risk, and high risk actually. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showed that the cumulative incidence of ICI-related myocarditis in the high-risk group was significantly higher than that in the medium- and low-risk groups (P＜0.05). In the multivariable-adjusted Cox proportional hazards model, the ICI-related myocarditis risk in high-risk group was about 4 times that in the low-risk group. ROC curve analysis demonstrated that the average area under the curve (AUC) for predicting ICI-related myocarditis was 0.81, with an accuracy of 0.74. The Cohen’s Kappa coefficient was 0.55, indicating moderate agreement. In the actual high-risk group, no patient was predicted to be at low risk; in the actual low-risk group, 16 patients were predicted to be at high risk. Conclusions This risk assessment scale for ICI-associated myocarditis shows high predictive performance. It provides oncologists with a simple yet effective multidisciplinary diagnostic reference tool, potentially enhancing early identification of ICI-associated myocarditis.

Astragali Radix (AR), a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), has demonstrated therapeutic efficacy against various diseases, including cardiovascular conditions, over centuries of use. While doxorubicin serves as an effective chemotherapeutic agent against multiple cancers, its clinical application remains constrained by significant cardiotoxicity. Research has indicated that AR exhibits protective properties against doxorubicin-induced cardiomyopathy (DIC); however, the specific bioactive components and underlying mechanisms responsible for this therapeutic effect remain incompletely understood. This investigation seeks to identify the protective bioactive components in AR against DIC and elucidate their mechanisms of action. Through network medicine analysis, astragaloside IV (AsIV) and formononetin (FMT) were identified as potential cardioprotective agents from 129 AR components. In vitro experiments using H9c2 rat cardiomyocytes revealed that the AsIV-FMT combination (AFC) effectively reduced doxorubicin-induced cell death in a dose-dependent manner, with optimal efficacy at a 1∶2 ratio. In vivo, AFC enhanced survival rates and improved cardiac function in both acute and chronic DIC mouse models. Additionally, AFC demonstrated cardiac protection while maintaining doxorubicin's anti-cancer efficacy in a breast cancer mouse model. Lipidomic and metabolomics analyses revealed that AFC normalized doxorubicin-induced lipid profile alterations, particularly by reducing fatty acid accumulation. Gene knockdown studies and inhibitor experiments in H9c2 cells demonstrated that AsIV and FMT upregulated peroxisome proliferator activated receptor γ coactivator 1α (PGC-1α) and PPARα, respectively, two key proteins involved in fatty acid metabolism. This research establishes AFC as a promising therapeutic approach for DIC, highlighting the significance of multi-target therapies derived from natural herbals in contemporary medicine.
Animals ; Doxorubicin/adverse effects* ; Saponins/administration & dosage* ; Isoflavones/pharmacology* ; Rats ; Cardiomyopathies/prevention & control* ; Mice ; Fatty Acids/metabolism* ; Myocytes, Cardiac/metabolism* ; Triterpenes/administration & dosage* ; Male ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/administration & dosage* ; Humans ; Cardiotonic Agents/administration & dosage* ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Cell Line ; Astragalus Plant/chemistry* ; Astragalus propinquus

The importance of gait assessment in the rehabilitation of cancer patients is gradually being recognized. However, quantitative analysis of balance ability in cancer patients is still limited. A total of 102 cancer patients meeting the inclusion criteria were recruited from Hefei Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Their balance ability was evaluated using the Berg Balance Scale (BBS). Gait data were collected by an electronic walkway and an IMU sensor system, including spatial-temporal and kinematic gait features such as step length, cadence, support time, and range of motion. Recursive feature elimination was used for feature selection. Ridge, Elastic Net, SVR, RF, and AdaBoost models were used to predict balance ability scores. Five-fold cross-validation was used to evaluate the performance of these models. Results show that the SVR model achieves the best performance with fifteen features (RMSE=3.22, R ²=0.91), followed by Ridge (RMSE=3.63, R ²=0.89). A method for evaluating balance ability based on gait features is proposed, providing a quantitative tool for personalized rehabilitation interventions in cancer patients.
Humans ; Postural Balance ; Neoplasms/rehabilitation* ; Gait ; Gait Analysis ; Biomechanical Phenomena ; Female

OBJECTIVES: To investigate YEATS2 expression in gastric cancer (GC), its prognostic value, and its regulatory role in epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) of GC cells. METHODS: YEATS2 expression in GC was analyzed using publicly available databases. Paired GC and adjacent tissues were collected from 100 patients undergoing radical surgery for immunohistochemical detection of YEATS2 expression, and its correlations with the patients' clinicopathological parameters and Ki67 expression were analyzed. The prognostic value of YEATS2 was assessed using Kaplan-Meier analysis, Cox regression and ROC curves, and its regulatory mechanisms were analyzed using KEGG enrichment analysis. In cultured GC cell lines (HGC-27 and AGS), the effect of YEATS2 knockdown and overexpression on migration, invasion and EMT of the cells were examined with scratching assay, Transwell assay and Western blotting. RESULTS: YEATS2 was significantly overexpressed in GC tissues with a positive correlation with Ki67 (P<0.05). High YEATS2 expression was associated with elevated CEA (≥5 μg/L), CA19-9 (≥37 kU/L), T3-4 stage, and N2-3 stage (all P<0.05). Patients with high YEATS2 expression had significantly reduced 5-year survival (P<0.001); ROC analysis showed that YEATS2 expression levels had a sensitivity of 80.00% and a specificity of 66.67% for predicting patient survival (P<0.05). Cox regression identified high YEATS2 as an independent risk factor for poor postoperative 5-year survival outcome of GC patients (HR: 1.675, 95%CI: 1.013-2.771; P=0.045). KEGG enrichment analysis suggested involvement of YEATS2 in EMT in GC and Wnt/β-catenin signaling. In cultured GC cells, YEATS2 overexpression significantly promoted cell migration and invasion, upregulated the expressions of vimentin, N-cadherin, Wnt and active β-catenin, and downregulated E-cadherin expression, and these changes were obviously suppressed by treatment with XAV-939 (a Wnt/β-catenin inhibitor). CONCLUSIONS High YEATS2 expression activates Wnt/β-catenin signaling to promote EMT in GC and is correlated with poor prognosis of GC patients.
Humans ; Stomach Neoplasms/pathology* ; Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition ; Wnt Signaling Pathway ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Prognosis ; Cell Movement ; Male ; Female ; beta Catenin/metabolism*

High mobility group box 1 (HMGB1), when released extracellularly, plays a pivotal role in the development of spinal cord synapses and exacerbates autoimmune diseases within the central nervous system. In experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), a condition that models multiple sclerosis, the levels of extracellular HMGB1 and interleukin-33 (IL-33) have been found to be inversely correlated. However, the mechanism by which IL-33 deficiency enhances HMGB1 release during EAE remains elusive. Our study elucidates a potential signaling pathway whereby the absence of IL-33 leads to increased binding of P300/CBP-associated factor with HMGB1 in the nuclei of astrocytes, upregulating HMGB1 acetylation and promoting its release from astrocyte nuclei in the spinal cord of EAE mice. Conversely, the addition of IL-33 counteracts the TNF-α-induced increase in HMGB1 and acetylated HMGB1 levels in primary astrocytes. These findings underscore the potential of IL-33-associated signaling pathways as a therapeutic target for EAE treatment.
Animals ; Encephalomyelitis, Autoimmune, Experimental/metabolism* ; Astrocytes/metabolism* ; Interleukin-33/metabolism* ; HMGB1 Protein/metabolism* ; Acetylation ; Mice, Knockout ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; p300-CBP Transcription Factors/metabolism* ; Mice ; Spinal Cord/metabolism* ; Cells, Cultured ; Female ; Signal Transduction

Objective To explore the perioperative safety and prognostic factors of sequential hepatectomy after conversion therapy using vascular interventional therapy(including transarterial chemoembolization and hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy)combined with tyrosine kinase inhibitors(TKI)and programmed death-1(PD-1)inhibitors in patients with initially unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma.Methods The clinical data of 106 eligible HCC patients treated in Tumor Hospital Affiliated to Guangxi Medical University from Nov.2019 to Apr.2024 were retrospectively analyzed.The perioperative parameters and postoperative pathological outcomes were described in detail,and factors influencing prognosis were analyzed.Results The median operative time for hepatectomy after conversion therapy was 240 min,with a median blood loss of 200 mL.Intraoperative blood transfusion was required in 24(22.6％)patients.Postoperative adverse reactions occurred in 49.1％(52/106)of patients,with liver failure being the most common adverse reactions(23 patients,21.7％).One(0.9％)patient died during the perioperative period,while the remaining 105 patients were followed up for a median duration of 14.7 months,during which 49(46.2％)patients experienced recurrence.Among them,39(36.8％)cases experienced early recurrence(within 1 year),and 33(31.1％)cases had intrahepatic recurrence.Thirteen(12.3％)patients died during follow-up.The median recurrence-free survival(RFS)was 15.7 months,with 1-year and 2-year RFS rates being 56.9％and 40.3％,respectively.The median overall survival(OS)was not reached,with 1-year and 2-year OS rates being 94.2％and 85.3％,respectively.Multivariate Cox regression analysis demonstrated that achieving complete pathological response(hazard ratio[HR]=0.410,95％confidence interval[CI]0.172-0.980,P=0.045),presence of microvascular invasion(HR=2.423,95％CI 1.269-4.625,P=0.007),satellite nodules(HR=1.916,95％CI 1.014-3.620,P=0.045),and multiple tumors(HR=1.818,95％CI 1.012-3.241,P=0.046)were independent factors associated with postoperative recurrence.Conclusion For patients with initially unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma,vascular interventional therapy combined with TKI and PD-1 inhibitors followed by sequential hepatectomy may be a feasible treatment strategy,with manageable adverse reactions and promising efficacy.

Gliomas, with their infiltrative growth and malignant potential, present considerable therapeutic challenges. Maximal safe resection is essential for optimizing patient survival and quality of life. Despite this, existing intraoperative visualization techniques suffer from limited sensitivity and accuracy. Label-free Raman spectroscopy has emerged as a non-invasive, rapidly diagnostic, and highly accurate technique. It accurately diagnoses tumors, identifies infiltration margins, and classifies molecular subtypes, enhancing the precision of glioma surgery. This review summarizes the latest advances and applications of label-free Raman spectroscopy in glioma surgery.

Objective To observe hierarchical differences in brain functional networks in unilateral mesial temporal lobe epilepsy(mTLE)patients with different outcomes after surgery.Methods A total of 69 unilateral mTLE patients who underwent resection of epileptogenic lesion on the affected side were retrospectively enrolled.Based on Engel classification 1 year after surgery,the patients were divided into seizure free(SF)group and non-seizure free(NSF)group.Functional connectivity gradient analysis was employed to extract principal gradient explaining the highest variance on preoperative resting-state functional MRI(rs-fMRI),then the whole-brain gradient characteristics and principal gradient values within specific functional networks were compared between groups.Results Principal gradient connected default mode network(DMN)with sensorimotor network(SMN)along a continuous axis.Compared to SF group,NSF group showed a contracted gradient range at both ends(DMN and SMN)of the functional network and weakened hierarchical differentiation,and principal gradient value of DMN was higher,while that of SMN was lower than those in SF group(both P＜0.05).Conclusion Hierarchical differences in brain functional networks in unilateral mTLE patients with different outcomes after surgery mainly present as enhanced DMN and weakened SMN in NSF ones,and the latter two might serve as important neuroimaging markers for evaluating postoperative seizure recurrence.

Objective To investigate the status of feeding intolerance in patients with enteral nutrition after lung transplantation and analyze its influencing factors,to provide a reference for formulating a reasonable enteral nutrition plan and improving patients'nutritional status.Methods Convenient sampling method was used to retrospectively collect the clinical data of 115 patients who received enteral nutrition support after lung transplantation and were hospitalized in the ICU of a tertiary hospital in Guangdong Province from August 2022 to November 2023.According to the occurrence of feeding intolerance during ICU hospitalization,the patients were divided into a feeding tolerance group and a feeding intolerance group.Univariate and logistic regression analysis were used to analyze the influencing factors of feeding intolerance patients with enteral nutrition after lung transplantation.Results Within 7 days of initiating enteral nutrition,a total of 63 patients developed feeding intolerance,with an incidence of 54.78％.Among them,the incidence of feeding intolerance was relatively high within 1 to 3 days after initiating enteral feeding.The clinical manifestations of feeding intolerance were diarrhea,bloating,gastric retention,vomiting/regurgitation,among which the diarrhea was the highest incidence(87.30％).Logi-stic regression analysis showed that intraoperative net balance volume(OR=0.999),intraoperative blood transfusion(OR=1.001)volume and diabetes history(OR=0.170)were independent influencing factors for feeding intolerance in patients with enteral nutrition after lung transplantation(P＜0.05).Conclusion There was a high incidence of feed-ing intolerance in patients with enteral nutrition after lung transplantation.Patients undergoing lung transplantation who have a high net intraoperative fluid balance,receive a low volume of intraoperative blood transfusions,and have a history of diabetes are at a lower risk of developing feeding intolerance when receiving postoperative enteral nutrition.When starting enteral nutrition,medical staff should dynamically evaluate the risk factors of feeding intolerance,screen high-risk patients as early as possible,and formulate reasonable enteral nutrition programs to improve the nutritional status of patients and promote their rehabilitation.