1.Inhibition of interferon regulatory factor 4 orchestrates T cell dysfunction, extending mouse cardiac allograft survival.
Wenjia YUAN ; Hedong ZHANG ; Longkai PENG ; Chao CHEN ; Chen FENG ; Zhouqi TANG ; Pengcheng CUI ; Yaguang LI ; Tengfang LI ; Xia QIU ; Yan CUI ; Yinqi ZENG ; Jiadi LUO ; Xubiao XIE ; Yong GUO ; Xin JIANG ; Helong DAI
Chinese Medical Journal 2025;138(10):1202-1212
BACKGROUND:
T cell dysfunction, which includes exhaustion, anergy, and senescence, is a distinct T cell differentiation state that occurs after antigen exposure. Although T cell dysfunction has been a cornerstone of cancer immunotherapy, its potential in transplant research, while not yet as extensively explored, is attracting growing interest. Interferon regulatory factor 4 (IRF4) has been shown to play a pivotal role in inducing T cell dysfunction.
METHODS:
A novel ultra-low-dose combination of Trametinib and Rapamycin, targeting IRF4 inhibition, was employed to investigate T cell proliferation, apoptosis, cytokine secretion, expression of T-cell dysfunction-associated molecules, effects of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling pathways, and allograft survival in both in vitro and BALB/c to C57BL/6 mouse cardiac transplantation models.
RESULTS:
In vitro , blockade of IRF4 in T cells effectively inhibited T cell proliferation, increased apoptosis, and significantly upregulated the expression of programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1), Helios, CD160, and cytotoxic T lymphocyte-associated antigen (CTLA-4), markers of T cell dysfunction. Furthermore, it suppressed the secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines interferon (IFN)-γ and interleukin (IL)-17. Combining ultra-low-dose Trametinib (0.1 mg·kg -1 ·day -1 ) and Rapamycin (0.1 mg·kg -1 ·day -1 ) demonstrably extended graft survival, with 4 out of 5 mice exceeding 100 days post-transplantation. Moreover, analysis of grafts at day 7 confirmed sustained IFN regulatory factor 4 (IRF4) inhibition, enhanced PD-1 expression, and suppressed IFN-γ secretion, reinforcing the in vivo efficacy of this IRF4-targeting approach. The combination of Trametinib and Rapamycin synergistically inhibited the MAPK and mTOR signaling network, leading to a more pronounced suppression of IRF4 expression.
CONCLUSIONS
Targeting IRF4, a key regulator of T cell dysfunction, presents a promising avenue for inducing transplant immune tolerance. In this study, we demonstrate that a novel ultra-low-dose combination of Trametinib and Rapamycin synergistically suppresses the MAPK and mTOR signaling network, leading to profound IRF4 inhibition, promoting allograft acceptance, and offering a potential new therapeutic strategy for improved transplant outcomes. However, further research is necessary to elucidate the underlying pharmacological mechanisms and facilitate translation to clinical practice.
Animals
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Mice
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Mice, Inbred BALB C
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Mice, Inbred C57BL
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Interferon Regulatory Factors/metabolism*
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Heart Transplantation/methods*
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T-Lymphocytes/immunology*
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Sirolimus/therapeutic use*
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Pyridones/therapeutic use*
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Graft Survival/drug effects*
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Pyrimidinones/therapeutic use*
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Cell Proliferation/drug effects*
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Apoptosis/drug effects*
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Male
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Signal Transduction/drug effects*
2.Expression and Correlation of PTEN and MMR in Endometrioid Carcinoma by Immunohistochemistry
Shiwei XIAO ; Wenjia SUN ; Su JIN ; Junqiu YUE ; Fang GUO
Journal of Practical Obstetrics and Gynecology 2025;41(2):143-149
Objective:To investigate the immunohistochemical expression pattern of phosphatase and tensin homolog deleted on chromosome ten(PTEN)protein with chromosome 10 deletion in endometrioid carcinoma(EEC)and its relationship with DNA mismatch repair(MMR)protein.Methods:A total of 121 patients diagnosed with EEC,endometrial atypical hyperplasia/endometrial intraepithelial neoplasia(EAH/EIN),and normal endome-trium due to uterine fibroid resection at Hubei Cancer Hospital Affiliated to Tongji Medical College of Huazhong U-niversity of Science and Technology from May 14,2019 to June 7,2023 were selected as the study subjects,inclu-ding 84 patients in the EEC group,17 patients in the EAH/EIN group,and 20 patients in the control group.Immu-nohistochemical was used to detect the expression patterns and differences of PTEN and MMR in endometrial tis-sues of three groups,and the differences in abnormal expression of PTEN protein in EEC between MMR protein deficient(MMRd)group and non-deficient(MMRp)group were compared.Results:①The expression of PTEN protein in 121 endometrial glandular epithelial cells includes four patterns:normal expression,negativeexpression,reduced expression,and heterogeneous expression.②The abnormal expression rates of PTEN protein in the EEC and EAH/EIN groups(84.5%and 94.1%)were higher than those in the control group(10.0%);The ex-pression rates of MMRd protein in the EEC group and EAH/EIN group(35.7%and 35.3%)were higher than those in the control group(0%),and the above differences were statistically significant(P<0.05).③The abnor-mal expression rate of PTEN in the MMRd group was 96.7%,which was higher than that in the MMRp group(96.7%vs.77.8%,P=0.048).④In the EEC group,with normal and abnormal expression of PTEN protein,there was no statistically significant difference in the comparison of different pathological grades,muscle infiltration depth,lymph node metastasis,and lymphatic vessel invasion between the MMRd group and the MMRp group(P>0.05).Conclusions:Identifying the abnormal expression pattern of PTEN protein and combining it with MMR protein detection can help identify endometrial dysplasia,and there may be a correlation between PTEN and MMR protein expression in EEC.The abnormal expression of PTEN may not have a clear impact on the biological behavior of MMRd expressing EEC.
3.Evaluation of hemolysis quality of specimens by fully automated blood collection robot
Chong WANG ; Meixiu GU ; Jie ZHU ; Peiqi FANG ; Wenjia TANG ; Zizhong LIU ; Baishen PAN ; Beili WANG ; Wei GUO
Chinese Journal of Laboratory Medicine 2025;48(8):1080-1084
Objective:To compare the differences in specimen results between the intelligent robotic phlebotomy group and the manual venipuncture group, and to evaluate the clinical applicability of the autonomous blood collection system.Methods:From January 20 to October 28, 2022, 154 volunteers at Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University underwent paired blood collections (robotic and manual) within 5 minutes. The collected samples were analyzed for: hemolysis index (HI), alanine transaminase (ALT), aspartate transaminase (AST), L-γ-glutamyltransferase (γ-GT), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), urea nitrogen (UREA), creatinine (CRE), uric acid (UA), glucose (GLU), total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), natrium (Na), kalium (K), chlorine (Cl), creatine kinase (CK), CK-MB, CK-MM, and neuron-specific enolase (NSE). Statistical analyses used t-tests and Wilcoxon signed-rank tests.Results:The results of two different blood collection methods revealed that the HI values of 154 specimens in the intelligent robot blood collection group were all less than 20SI, while 7 specimens (4.54%) in the manual blood collection group had HI values exceeding 20SI; In the comparison of 17 biochemical and immunological markers, there were statistically significant differences between groups in 8 items including γ-GT[20.00(15.00, 37.75)U/L vs. 19.00 (14.00, 36.25)U/L, Z=2.497, P<0.05], LDH[165.5 (147.0, 183.0)U/L vs. 173.0 (155.0, 193.0)U/L, Z=8.629, P<0.05], TC[(5.002±0.856)mmol/L vs.(5.031±0.870) mmol/L, t=-3.006, P<0.05], K[4.1 (4.0, 4.3)mmol/L vs. 4.3 (4.1, 4.4)mmol/L, Z=5.592, P<0.05], CK[97.00 (73.00, 133.00)U/L vs. 99.00 (74.75, 136.25)U/L, Z=3.490, P<0.05], CK-MB[13 (11, 15)U/L vs. 14 (12, 16)U/L, Z=6.581, P<0.05], CK-MM[84.00 (60.00, 119.00)U/L vs. 83.50 (58.75, 118.00)U/L, Z=3.790, P<0.05], and NSE[10.600 (9.500, 11.700)ng/ml vs. 11.950 (10.475, 13.725)ng/ml, Z=8.151, P<0.05]. Conclusions:In the collection of serum samples, intelligent blood collection robots can achieve standardization and normalization of specimen collection volume and mixing in the pre-analysis stage. The hemolysis related indicators of the collected specimens are lower than those of the manual collection group, and can be used for the collection of clinical serological specimens.
4.Analysis of characteristics of hospitalized patients with acute myocardial infarction in a certain hospital from 2014 to 2023
Wen ZHANG ; Xinxin ZHANG ; Xiaoying NIE ; Ying XU ; Wenjia LI ; Yiwei GUO ; Beilei ZHANG ; Binchong WANG
Modern Hospital 2025;25(1):72-75
Objective To analyze the basic characteristics of patients with acute myocardial infarction in a tertiary hospi-tal from 2014 to 2023,and provide references for the prevention,treatment,management,and quality control of this disease.Methods Based on the data from the medical records of patients with acute myocardial infarction admitted to a tertiary hospital from January 1,2014,to December 31,2023,the basic characteristics of hospitalized patients and trends in hospitalization costs were analyzed to summarize the development patterns.Results Over the past decade,the number of hospitalized patients with a-cute myocardial infarction has been increasing,while the average length of hospital stay,average cost per hospitalization,and mortality rate have been decreasing.Among the 19 937 patients,there were 16 037 male patients(80.44%)and 3 900 female patients(19.56%),with a male-to-female ratio of 4.11∶1.The median age for male patients was 60 years,while for female patients it was 68 years,indicating that males tend to develop the disease approximately 10 years earlier than females.Among pa-tients aged 60 and above,the mortality rate is positively correlated with age,while among patients below 60,the mortality rate is negatively correlated with age.The decision to undergo surgery has a significant impact on hospitalization costs.From the per-spective of cost structure,the proportion of consumables has decreased from 69.81%to 54.60%in the past decade but remains relatively high.Conclusion With the advancement of hospital management and medical insurance policies,the diagnosis,treat-ment,and quality of care for acute myocardial infarction have significantly improved.However,consumables management remains a key focus.Men and individuals aged 50 and above should be given special attention.During the diagnosis and treatment process,greater attention should also be given to younger or older patients and female patients to reduce the mortality rate.
5.Expression and Correlation of PTEN and MMR in Endometrioid Carcinoma by Immunohistochemistry
Shiwei XIAO ; Wenjia SUN ; Su JIN ; Junqiu YUE ; Fang GUO
Journal of Practical Obstetrics and Gynecology 2025;41(2):143-149
Objective:To investigate the immunohistochemical expression pattern of phosphatase and tensin homolog deleted on chromosome ten(PTEN)protein with chromosome 10 deletion in endometrioid carcinoma(EEC)and its relationship with DNA mismatch repair(MMR)protein.Methods:A total of 121 patients diagnosed with EEC,endometrial atypical hyperplasia/endometrial intraepithelial neoplasia(EAH/EIN),and normal endome-trium due to uterine fibroid resection at Hubei Cancer Hospital Affiliated to Tongji Medical College of Huazhong U-niversity of Science and Technology from May 14,2019 to June 7,2023 were selected as the study subjects,inclu-ding 84 patients in the EEC group,17 patients in the EAH/EIN group,and 20 patients in the control group.Immu-nohistochemical was used to detect the expression patterns and differences of PTEN and MMR in endometrial tis-sues of three groups,and the differences in abnormal expression of PTEN protein in EEC between MMR protein deficient(MMRd)group and non-deficient(MMRp)group were compared.Results:①The expression of PTEN protein in 121 endometrial glandular epithelial cells includes four patterns:normal expression,negativeexpression,reduced expression,and heterogeneous expression.②The abnormal expression rates of PTEN protein in the EEC and EAH/EIN groups(84.5%and 94.1%)were higher than those in the control group(10.0%);The ex-pression rates of MMRd protein in the EEC group and EAH/EIN group(35.7%and 35.3%)were higher than those in the control group(0%),and the above differences were statistically significant(P<0.05).③The abnor-mal expression rate of PTEN in the MMRd group was 96.7%,which was higher than that in the MMRp group(96.7%vs.77.8%,P=0.048).④In the EEC group,with normal and abnormal expression of PTEN protein,there was no statistically significant difference in the comparison of different pathological grades,muscle infiltration depth,lymph node metastasis,and lymphatic vessel invasion between the MMRd group and the MMRp group(P>0.05).Conclusions:Identifying the abnormal expression pattern of PTEN protein and combining it with MMR protein detection can help identify endometrial dysplasia,and there may be a correlation between PTEN and MMR protein expression in EEC.The abnormal expression of PTEN may not have a clear impact on the biological behavior of MMRd expressing EEC.
6.Analysis of characteristics of hospitalized patients with acute myocardial infarction in a certain hospital from 2014 to 2023
Wen ZHANG ; Xinxin ZHANG ; Xiaoying NIE ; Ying XU ; Wenjia LI ; Yiwei GUO ; Beilei ZHANG ; Binchong WANG
Modern Hospital 2025;25(1):72-75
Objective To analyze the basic characteristics of patients with acute myocardial infarction in a tertiary hospi-tal from 2014 to 2023,and provide references for the prevention,treatment,management,and quality control of this disease.Methods Based on the data from the medical records of patients with acute myocardial infarction admitted to a tertiary hospital from January 1,2014,to December 31,2023,the basic characteristics of hospitalized patients and trends in hospitalization costs were analyzed to summarize the development patterns.Results Over the past decade,the number of hospitalized patients with a-cute myocardial infarction has been increasing,while the average length of hospital stay,average cost per hospitalization,and mortality rate have been decreasing.Among the 19 937 patients,there were 16 037 male patients(80.44%)and 3 900 female patients(19.56%),with a male-to-female ratio of 4.11∶1.The median age for male patients was 60 years,while for female patients it was 68 years,indicating that males tend to develop the disease approximately 10 years earlier than females.Among pa-tients aged 60 and above,the mortality rate is positively correlated with age,while among patients below 60,the mortality rate is negatively correlated with age.The decision to undergo surgery has a significant impact on hospitalization costs.From the per-spective of cost structure,the proportion of consumables has decreased from 69.81%to 54.60%in the past decade but remains relatively high.Conclusion With the advancement of hospital management and medical insurance policies,the diagnosis,treat-ment,and quality of care for acute myocardial infarction have significantly improved.However,consumables management remains a key focus.Men and individuals aged 50 and above should be given special attention.During the diagnosis and treatment process,greater attention should also be given to younger or older patients and female patients to reduce the mortality rate.
7.Evaluation of hemolysis quality of specimens by fully automated blood collection robot
Chong WANG ; Meixiu GU ; Jie ZHU ; Peiqi FANG ; Wenjia TANG ; Zizhong LIU ; Baishen PAN ; Beili WANG ; Wei GUO
Chinese Journal of Laboratory Medicine 2025;48(8):1080-1084
Objective:To compare the differences in specimen results between the intelligent robotic phlebotomy group and the manual venipuncture group, and to evaluate the clinical applicability of the autonomous blood collection system.Methods:From January 20 to October 28, 2022, 154 volunteers at Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University underwent paired blood collections (robotic and manual) within 5 minutes. The collected samples were analyzed for: hemolysis index (HI), alanine transaminase (ALT), aspartate transaminase (AST), L-γ-glutamyltransferase (γ-GT), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), urea nitrogen (UREA), creatinine (CRE), uric acid (UA), glucose (GLU), total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), natrium (Na), kalium (K), chlorine (Cl), creatine kinase (CK), CK-MB, CK-MM, and neuron-specific enolase (NSE). Statistical analyses used t-tests and Wilcoxon signed-rank tests.Results:The results of two different blood collection methods revealed that the HI values of 154 specimens in the intelligent robot blood collection group were all less than 20SI, while 7 specimens (4.54%) in the manual blood collection group had HI values exceeding 20SI; In the comparison of 17 biochemical and immunological markers, there were statistically significant differences between groups in 8 items including γ-GT[20.00(15.00, 37.75)U/L vs. 19.00 (14.00, 36.25)U/L, Z=2.497, P<0.05], LDH[165.5 (147.0, 183.0)U/L vs. 173.0 (155.0, 193.0)U/L, Z=8.629, P<0.05], TC[(5.002±0.856)mmol/L vs.(5.031±0.870) mmol/L, t=-3.006, P<0.05], K[4.1 (4.0, 4.3)mmol/L vs. 4.3 (4.1, 4.4)mmol/L, Z=5.592, P<0.05], CK[97.00 (73.00, 133.00)U/L vs. 99.00 (74.75, 136.25)U/L, Z=3.490, P<0.05], CK-MB[13 (11, 15)U/L vs. 14 (12, 16)U/L, Z=6.581, P<0.05], CK-MM[84.00 (60.00, 119.00)U/L vs. 83.50 (58.75, 118.00)U/L, Z=3.790, P<0.05], and NSE[10.600 (9.500, 11.700)ng/ml vs. 11.950 (10.475, 13.725)ng/ml, Z=8.151, P<0.05]. Conclusions:In the collection of serum samples, intelligent blood collection robots can achieve standardization and normalization of specimen collection volume and mixing in the pre-analysis stage. The hemolysis related indicators of the collected specimens are lower than those of the manual collection group, and can be used for the collection of clinical serological specimens.
8.Case study on functional orientation in a tertiary public hospital against the backdrop of performance appraisal of tertiary public hospitals
Wen ZHANG ; Xinxin ZHANG ; Ying XU ; Wenjia LI ; Xueli YAN ; Xiaozai ZHANG ; Xiaoyu YANG ; Ya KANG ; Yinghui HU ; Deying KONG ; Yiping GUO ; Yanghua ZHANG ; Shujuan FAN ; Yiping MU ; Hongxia LI ; Huang ZUO
Modern Hospital 2024;24(1):71-75
Performance appraisal of public hospitals have given a guidance for the development of public hospitals at all levels.A Class A tertiary hospital reviewed the problems in the development of the hospital at the present stage and focused on the following four aspects:①insufficient fine management;②No clear orientation of discipline development;③The bottleneck of the improvement of medical operation efficiency;④New challenges in the reform of payment mode.The tertiary hospital launched a fine management practice in May 2022,in order to solve the problems by taking the Department of Surgery as a pilot area,laying the foundation for fine management through information system construction,improving the efficiency of medical operation through management process optimization,improving the overall competitiveness of disciplines through the construction of sub-specialty and Discipline Alliance and adjusting the performance appraisal index system to play the role of performance incentives.The measures effectively improve the overall capacity and efficiency of hospital medical services and help the hospital to achieve high-quality development.
9.Impacts of soy isoflavones inhibiting Slit2/MAPK signaling pathway on alveolar bone resorption and inflammatory response in periodontitis rats
Zheying DAI ; Yi GUO ; Yang LIU ; Wenjia LI ; Hui ZHOU
Chinese Journal of Immunology 2024;40(6):1131-1136
Objective:To investigate impacts of soy isoflavones(SIF)on alveolar bone resorption and inflammatory response in periodontitis rats based on Slit homologue 2(Slit2)/P38 mitogen-activated protein kinase(MAPK)signaling pathway.Methods:Rats were separated into Control group,Model group,SIF low-dose group(L-SIF,25 mg/kg)and SIF high-dose group(H-SIF,75 mg/kg),with 10 rats per group,and periodontitis model was established by ligating necks of maxillary first molars of rats with silk thread except for control group.Rats in L-SIF group and H-SIF group were given corresponding doses of SIF by gavage,Control group and Model group were given same amount of normal saline by gavage,once a day,for 4 consecutive weeks.After administration,serum Slit2,TNF-α,IL-6 and IL-1β levels were detected by ELISA;Micro-CT scan was performed to detect distance between cemen-tumenamel junction and alveolar ridge crest(CEJ-ABC),bone mineral density(BMD),bone volume fraction(BV/TV),and alveolar bone loss was evaluated;HE staining and tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase(TRAP)staining were performed to evaluate tissue inflam-mation,bone resorption and osteoclast activity;expressions of osteoprotegerin(OPG)and receptor activator of nuclear factor κB ligand(RANKL)in periodontal tissues were detected by immunohistochemistry(IHC);Western blot was performed to detect protein expressions of Slit2,P38 MAPK and p-P38 MAPK in periodontal tissues.Results:Compared with Control group,serum levels of Slit2,TNF-α,IL-1β,IL-6,CEJ-ABC distance,periodontal histopathological damage score,osteoclast number,positive expression of RANKL,protein level of Slit2 and p-P38 MAPK/P38 MAPK were greatly increased in Model group,BMD,BV/TV and positive ex-pression of periodontal tissues OPG were greatly decreased(all P<0.05);compared with Model group,serum levels of Slit2,TNF-α,IL-1β,IL-6,CEJ-ABC distance,periodontal histopathological damage score,osteoclast number,positive expression of RANKL,pro-tein levels of Slit2 and p-P38 MAPK/P38 MAPK were greatly decreased,BMD,BV/TV and OPG positive expression of periodontal tissues were greatly increased in L-SIF group and H-SIF group(P<0.05),the above indicators in H-SIF group changed greatly better than L-SIF group(P<0.05).Conclusion:SIF can inhibit alveolar bone resorption and inflammatory response in periodontitis rats and improve periodontitis,whose mechanism may be related to inhibition of Slit2/P38 MAPK signaling pathway.
10.Effect analysis of tranexamic acid combined with aspirin and low molecular weight heparin calcium in blood management of total knee arthroplasty
Hanwei WANG ; Kun CHENG ; Wenjia ZHANG ; Xu GUO ; Jinmei LI ; Jigao LU
Journal of Clinical Surgery 2024;32(5):521-524
Objective To investigate the value of tranexamic acid combined with aspirin,low molecular weight heparin calcium in regulating inflammatory mediators and TEG in blood management of Total knee arthroplast(TKA).Methods 120 elderly patients with TKA in our hospital from January 2020 to October 2022 were randomly divided into group A(n=60)and group B(n=60).They were given tranexamic acid+aspirin and tranexamic acid+low molecular weight heparin calcium,respectively,for 2 weeks.Perioperative indexes,complications[lower limb deep vein thrombosis(DVT),intermuscular vein thrombosis(MCVT),incision infection],blood transfusion rate,adverse reactions(gastrointestinal discomfort,subcutaneous ecchymosis),TEG parameters[coagulation reaction time(R),blood coagulation time(K),maximum amplitude(MA),coagulation angle(α)],inflammatory mediators[soluble CD40 ligand(sCD40L),Toll-like receptor 4(TLR4),tumor necrosis factor(TNF-α)],vascular endothelial injury factors[soluble thromboregulatory protein(sTM),vascular endothelial cell growth factor(VEGF),E-selectin]were compared between the two groups.Results There was no significant difference in the 24 h postoperative drainage volume,latent blood loss,total blood loss,intraoperative blood loss,Hb and HCT levels 72 h after surgery between the two groups(P>0.05).There was no statistically significant difference in TEG parameters between the two groups,at different time points,and between groups at different time points(P>0.05);The serum levels of TLR4,sCD40L and TNF-α in group A were lower than those in group B 2 weeks after surgery(P<0.05).The levels of plasma sTM and serum VEGF and E-selectin in group A were lower than those in group B 2 weeks after surgery(P<0.05).There was no significant difference in the incidence of deep vein thrombosis(DVT),intermuscular vein thrombosis(MCVT),incision infection and blood transfusion rate between group A and group B(P>0.05).There was no significant difference in the total incidence of adverse reactions between group A and group B(P>0.05).Conclusion Compared with the combination of low molecular weight heparin calcium,the combination of tranexamic acid and aspirin can protect vascular endothelium and inhibit inflammatory response.However,both can maintain the patient's coagulation function and avoid massive blood loss or thrombosis.There is no significant difference in safety and effectiveness.

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