[Objective] : To explore the clinical characteristics and methods for syndrome differentiation prediction, as well as to construct a predictive model for Qi deficiency and blood stasis syndrome in patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS). [Methods] : This study employed a retrospective case-control design to analyze patients with AIS who received inpatient treatment at the Neurology Department of The First Hospital of Hunan University of Chinese Medicine from January 1, 2013 to December 31, 2022. AIS patients meeting the diagnostic criteria for Qi deficiency and blood stasis syndrome were stratified into case group, while those without Qi deficiency and blood stasis syndrome were stratified into control group. The demographic characteristics (age and gender), clinical parameters [time from onset to admission, National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score, and blood pressure], past medical history, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) diagnostic characteristics (tongue and pulse), neurological symptoms and signs, imaging findings [magnetic resonance imaging-diffusion weighted imaging (MRI-DWI)], and biochemical indicators of the two groups were collected and compared. The indicators with statistical difference (P < 0.05) in univariate analysis were included in multivariate logistic regression analysis to evaluate their predictive value for the diagnosis of Qi deficiency and blood stasis syndrome, and the predictive model was constructed by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. [Results] : The study included 1 035 AIS patients, with 404 cases in case group and 631 cases in control group. Compared with control group, patients in case group were significantly older, had extended onset-to-admission time, lower diastolic blood pressure, and lower NIHSS scores (P < 0.05). Case group showed lower incidence of hypertension history (P < 0.05). Regarding tongue and pulse characteristics, pale and dark tongue colors, white tongue coating, fine pulse, astringent pulse, and sinking pulse were more common in case group. Imaging examinations demonstrated higher proportions of centrum semiovale infarction, cerebral atrophy, and vertebral artery stenosis in case group (P < 0.05). Among biochemical indicators, case group showed higher proportions of elevated fasting blood glucose and glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), while lower proportions of elevated white blood cell count, reduced hemoglobin, and reduced high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) (P < 0.05). Multivariate logistic regression analysis identified significant predictors for Qi deficiency and blood stasis syndrome including: fine pulse [odds ratio (OR) = 4.38], astringent pulse (OR = 3.67), superficial sensory abnormalities (OR = 1.86), centrum semiovale infarction (OR = 1.57), cerebral atrophy (OR = 1.55), vertebral artery stenosis (OR = 1.62), and elevated HbA1c (OR = 3.52). The ROC curve analysis of the comprehensive prediction model yielded an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.878 [95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.855 – 0.900]. [Conclusion] This study finds out that Qi deficiency and blood stasis syndrome represents one of the primary types of AIS. Fine pulse, astringent pulse, superficial sensory abnormalities, centrum semiovale infarction, cerebral atrophy, vertebral artery stenosis, elevated blood glucose, elevated HbA1c, pale and dark tongue colors, and white tongue coating are key objective diagnostic indicators for the syndrome differentiation of AIS with Qi deficiency and blood stasis syndrome. Based on these indicators, a syndrome differentiation prediction model has been developed, offering a more objective basis for clinical diagnosis, and help to rapidly identify this syndrome in clinical practice and reduce misdiagnosis and missed diagnosis.

Objective:To explore the clinical characteristics and treatment methods of middle ear cholesteatoma with intracranial and extracranial complications as the first diagnosis. Methods:A total of 244 patients were initially diagnosed with intracranial and/or extracranial complications associated with middle ear cholesteatoma at the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University from January 2015 to January 2022, and medical records were collected and retrospectively analyzed. Results:Among 244 patients with intracranial and extracranial complications of middle ear cholesteatoma, 203 cases had one complication, 34 cases had 2 complications, and 7 cases had 3 or more complications. One hundred and eighty-six cases presented labyrinthitis, 41 cases had peripheral facial paralysis, 27 cases had periauricular abscess, 12 cases had meningitis, 10 cases had brain abscess, 7 cases had sigmoid sinus lesions, 6 cases had epidural abscess, and 4 cases demonstrated hydrocephalus. Conclusion:The destructive nature of middle ear cholesteatoma can lead to intracranial and extracranial complications. The incidence rate of extracranial complications is highest for labyrinthitis. Patients with otitis media who complained dizziness should raise clinical suspicion for potential labyrinthitis. The second most prevalent extracranial complication is peripheral facial paralysis, and early facial nerve decompression surgery is critical for better recovery of facial paralysis symptoms. Brain abscess is the most common intracranial complications, which has the highest fatality rate. Clinicians should be alert to otogenic brain abscess. Otolaryngology and neurosurgery teams should cooperate and evaluate patients' middle ear lesions and brain abscess, and jointly develop personalized treatment plans.
Humans ; Cholesteatoma, Middle Ear/surgery* ; Retrospective Studies ; Facial Paralysis/etiology* ; Brain Abscess/diagnosis* ; Male ; Female ; Otitis Media/complications* ; Meningitis/etiology* ; Labyrinthitis/etiology* ; Adult ; Middle Aged ; Young Adult

Objective:X-linked non-syndromic hearing loss is an extremely rare type of hearing impairment. This study conducted a phenotypic and genetic analysis of a family with X-linked dominant inheritance to explore the causes of hearing loss. Methods:Clinical data were collected from a patient with non-syndromic hearing loss who visited the Otorhinolaryngology Department of the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University in June 2023. Phenotypic and genetic analyses were performed on family members, including audiometric tests, whole-exome sequencing, and PCR-Sanger sequencing verification. Audiological assessments comprised pure-tone audiometry, impedance audiometry, auditory brainstem response, and otoacoustic emission tests. Results:The affected individuals in this pedigree have X-linked dominant non-syndromic deafness caused by mutations in the SMPX gene. The proband, along with their mother and maternal grandmother, exhibit varying degrees of sensorineural hearing loss. Whole-exome sequencing revealed a novel pathogenic variant, NM_014332.3: c. 133-2A>C, in the SMPX gene in the proband. Sanger sequencing confirmed that the proband, proband's mother, and grandmother all carried this pathogenic variant. Conclusion:This study reports a novel pathogenic variant in the SMPX gene, providing additional medical evidence for the diagnosis and treatment of X-linked dominant inherited non-syndromic hearing loss. It enriches the mutation spectrum of the SMPX gene.
Humans ; Pedigree ; Mutation ; Phenotype ; Male ; Hearing Loss, Sensorineural/genetics* ; Exome Sequencing ; Female ; Adult ; Hearing Loss/genetics* ; Evoked Potentials, Auditory, Brain Stem ; Muscle Proteins

Objective:To investigate the characteristics of the CD8+T cells infiltration from the 4 sub-types in medulloblastoma(MB),to analyze the relationship between CD8+T cells infiltration and prog-nosis,to study the function of C-X-C motif chemokine ligand 11(CXCL11)and its receptor in CD8+T cells infiltration into tumors and to explore the potential mechanism,and to provide the necessary clinico-pathological basis for exploring the immunotherapy of MB.Methods:In the study,48 clinical MB sam-ples(12 cases in each of 4 subtypes)were selected from the multiple medical center from 2012 to 2019.The transcriptomics analysis for the tumor of 48 clinical samples was conducted on the NanoString Pan-Cancer 10360?Panel(NanoString Technologies).Immunohistochemistry(IHC)staining of formalin-fixed,paraffin-embedded sections from MB was carried out using CD8 primary antibody to analyze diffe-rential quantities of CD8+T cells in the MB four subtypes.Through bioinformatics analysis,the relation-ship between CD8+T cells infiltration and prognosis of the patients and the expression differences of various chemokines in the different subtypes of MB were investigated.The expression of CXCR3 receptor on the surface of CD8+T cells in MB was verified by double immunofluorescence staining,and the under-lying molecular mechanism of CD8+T cells infiltration into the tumor was explored.Results:The charac-teristic index of CD8+T cells in the WNT subtype of MB was relatively high,suggesting that the number of CD8+T cells in the WNT subtype was significantly higher than that in the other three subtypes,which was confirmed by CD8 immunohistochemical staining and Gene Expression Omnibus(GEO)database analysis by using R2 online data analysis platform.And the increase of CD8+T cells infiltration was posi-tively correlated with the patient survival.The expression level of CXCL11 in the WNT subtype MB was significantly higher than that of the other three subtypes.Immunofluorescence staining showed the presence of CXCL11 receptor,CXCR3,on the surface of CD8+T cells,suggesting that the CD8+T cells might be attracted to the MB microenvironment by CXCL11 through CXCR3.Conclusion:The CD8+T cells infiltrate more in the WNT subtype MB than other subtypes.The mechanism may be related to the activation of CXCL11-CXCR3 chemokine system,and the patients with more infiltration of CD8+T cells in tumor have better prognosis.This finding may provide the necessary clinicopathological basis for the regulatory mechanism of CD8+T cells infiltration in MB,and give a new potential therapeutic target for the future immunotherapy of MB.

OBJECTIVE To investigate the current situation of pharmaceutical management in compact medical consortium of Guangdong province， and to provide decision-making basis for promoting the high-quality construction and sustainable development of the provincial medical consortium. METHODS A self-designed questionnaire was used to select 50 compact medical consortiums in Guangdong province. The survey was answered by the heads of the pharmacy department of the general hospitals. The survey covered the basic scale of the consortium， the appointment of chief pharmacists， the implementation of pharmaceutical management and pharmaceutical care homogenization within the consortium， the difficulties in promoting the homogenization， and the expected provincial support. Descriptive statistical analysis was performed on the survey results. RESULTS A total of 50 questionnaires were collected， and the effective recovery rate was 100%. There were 16 chief pharmacists （32.00%） in charge of the pharmacy department of the general hospital in the medical consortium. Thirty-seven medical consortiums （74.00%） had established a drug supply support system within the consortium， 35 medical consortiums （70.00%） had carried out pharmaceutical management and coordination work within the medical consortium， 23 medical consortiums （46.00%） had established a clinical medication guidance system， 25 medical consortiums chenwenying2016@163.com （50.00%） had established a bidirectional communication mechanism， and only 8 medical consortiums （16.00%） had developed new models of pharmaceutical care. At present， the difficulties in promoting the homogenization of pharmaceutical management and pharmaceutical care within the medical consortium were mainly found in three aspects： the wide gap in management level of each member unit， the lack and uneven level of pharmaceutical personnel， and insufficient policy support and implementation. Most medical consortiums hoped that relevant departments could promote the homogenization of pharmaceutical work by holding special training courses or special supervision. CONCLUSIONS At present， the compact medical consortium in Guangdong province has achieved initial results in the implementation of the chief pharmacist system， the homogenization of pharmaceutical management and pharmaceutical care. However， it is still necessary to improve the coverage of chief pharmacist appointments in the medical consortium， implement the homogenization of pharmaceutical management， and accelerate the homogenization process of pharmaceutical care.

Objective:To explore the mediating role of mentoring function between proactive personality and transition shock in new nurses, with the aim of providing reference and basis for managers to develop effective intervention measures for new nurses during their transformational period.Methods:Convenience sampling method was used to select 280 new nurses from the Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine, and a cross-sectional survey was conducted by applying the General Information Questionnaire, Transition Shock Scale, Proactive Personality Scale, and Mentoring Function Scale. The mediating role of mentoring function between new nurses′ proactive personality and transition shock was evaluated by constructing structural equation modelling.Results:265 valid questionnaires were ultimately collected. Among 265 nurses, there were 25 males and 240 females, with an age of (22.88 ± 2.12) years. The score of transition shock, proactive personality, and mentoring function of new nurses were (83.45 ± 18.95), (58.66 ± 9.96) and (81.72 ± 14.46) respectively; transition shock was negatively correlated with proactive personality and mentoring function ( r=-0.379, -0.340, both P<0.01), and proactive personality was positively correlated with mentoring function ( r=0.452, P<0.01); the mediating effect of mentoring function between proactive personality and transition shock was significant (95% CI -0.085 - -0.015, P<0.01), accounting for 29.14% of the total effect. Conclusions:New nurses' transition shock is at a moderately high level, and proactive personality can affect transition shock directly or indirectly through mentoring function. Managers can mitigate new nurses′ transition shock by improving the quality of mentoring.

Objective:To summarize the clinical features and pregnancy outcomes of fetal micrognathia.Methods:This retrospective study enrolled 52 cases of fetal micrognathia diagnosed at Shandong Provincial Maternal and Child Health Hospital Affiliated to Qingdao University and Affiliated Maternity and Child Health Care Hospital of Nantong University from January 2014 to December 2022. Clinical features, genetic testing results, and pregnancy outcomes of the cases were summarized. These cases were divided into two groups based on whether they were complicated by other system anomalies: non-isolated micrognathia (49 cases) and isolated micrognathia (three cases). The non-isolated micrognathia cases were further divided into two subgroups: cleft palate group (21 cases) and non-cleft palate group (28 cases). Clinical features were compared between different groups. Statistical analysis was performed using two independent samples t-test, Chi-square test, or Fisher's exact test. Results:(1) The non-isolated micrognathia cases were complicated by one to six system anomalies, with the most common being facial anomalies (59.2%, 29/49), followed by circulatory system (51.0%, 25/49), musculoskeletal system (44.9%, 22/49), nervous system (34.7%, 17/49), digestive system (12.2%, 6/49), and urinary system anomalies (8.2%, 4/49). (2) Among 52 cases, nine non-isolated micrognathia cases received genetic testing, and the results indicated six with genetic abnormalities. (3) Forty-seven cases chose to terminate the pregnancies, while the other five cases continued the pregnancies (all fetuses were non-isolated micrognathia) and resulted in live births. Treatment was withdrawn in one live birth due to multiple anomalies, and the other four neonates required mechanical ventilation (two died after withdrawal of treatment; two underwent surgeries after birth and the prognosis of them was good during a one-year outpatient follow-up). (4) The proportion of women with polyhydramnios [28.6% (6/21) vs. 3.6% (1/28), Fisher's exact test, P=0.033] and the proportion of fetuses with confirmed Pierre Robin sequence [85.7% (18/21) vs. 7.1% (2/28), Fisher's exact test, P<0.001] were higher in the cleft palate group than those in the non-cleft palate group. Conclusions:Fetal micrognathia cases revealed by prenatal ultrasound should undergo a comprehensive screening for other system anomalies, especially cleft palate. Fetuses with micrognathia and multiple system anomalies often have a poor prognosis. Besides, it is recommended to take genetic testing. For fetuses with micrognathia, preparations for neonatal resuscitation at birth are essential to avoid adverse outcomes due to breathing difficulties.

Objective:To explore the relationship between single nucleotide polymorphism of programmed cell death 1 (PD-1) gene and long-term survival in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients.Methods:Eighty NSCLC patients admitted to the Yiwu Central Hospital from June 2020 to June 2022 were selected. Polymerase chain reaction restriction fragment length polymorphism was used to detect the PD-1.1 (rs36084323) and PD-1.5 (rs2227981) polymorphisms in the peripheral blood of the patients. Follow-up statistics were conducted on the progression free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) of NSCLC patients. We also analyzed the correlation between PD-1 genotype and clinical parameters in non-small cell lung cancer patients. And Cox univariate and multivariate analyses were used to evaluate the influencing factors of PFS and OS in NSCLC patients.Results:The proportion of PD-1.1 AA, AG, and GG genotypes in NSCLC patients was 30.00%, 50.00%, and 20.00%, respectively, while the proportion of PD-1.5 CC, CT, and TT genotypes in NSCLC patients was 55.00%, 38.75%, and 6.25%, respectively. The differences were not statistically significant (all P>0.05). PD-1.1 genotype was correlated with differentiation degree ( P<0.05); PD-1.5 genotype was associated with lymph node metastasis ( P<0.05). The median PFS of patients with PD-1.1 genotype AA, AG, and GG were 15.00(95% CI: 1.65-28.35)months, 15.00(95% CI: 10.53-19.47)months, and 11.00(95% CI: 5.12-16.88)months, respectively. The median OS was 30.00(95% CI: 23.58-36.42)months, 31.00(95% CI: 29.45-32.56)months, and 22.00(95% CI: 11.56-32.44)months, respectively. There was no statistically significant difference in PFS and OS among the three genotypes (all P>0.05). The median PFS of patients with PD-1.5 locus CC and CT+ TT genotypes were 18.00(95% CI: 12.47-23.53)months and 10.00(95% CI: 6.47-13.53)months, respectively. The median OS was 32.00(95% CI: 29.86-34.14)months and 22.00(95% CI: 15.25-28.75)months, respectively, and the differences were statistically significant (all P<0.05). The Cox multivariate analysis results showed that clinical stage, lymph node metastasis, and PD-1.5 locus genotype were independent influencing factors for PFS in NSCLC patients (all P<0.05); Age, clinical stage, lymph node metastasis, and PD-1.5 locus genotype are independent influencing factors for OS (all P<0.05). Conclusions:The PD-1.5 locus polymorphism is associated with long-term survival in NSCLC patients, providing new research ideas for the mechanism research and targeted therapy of NSCLC.

BACKGROUND: The switch/sucrose nonfermentable chromatin-remodeling (SWI/SNF) complex is a pivotal chromatin remodeling complex, and the genomic alterations (GAs) of the SWI/SNF complex are observed in several cancer types, correlating with multiple biological features of tumor cells. However, their role in liver metastasis of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) remains unclear. Our study aims to investigate the role and potential mechanisms underlying NSCLC liver metastasis induced by the GAs of SWI/SNF complex. METHODS: The GAs of SWI/SNF complex in NSCLC cell lines (H1299, H23 and H460) were identified by whole-exome sequencing (WES). ARID1A knockout H1299 cell was constructed with the CRISPR/Cas9 technology. The mouse model of liver metastasis from NSCLC was established to simulate lung cancer liver metastasis and observe the metastasis rate under different gene mutation conditions. RNA sequencing and Western blot were conducted for differential gene expression analysis. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) analysis was used to assess protein expression levels of SWI/SNF-regulated target molecules in mouse liver metastases. RESULTS: WES analysis revealed intracellular gene mutations. The animal experiments demonstrated a correlation between the GAs of SWI/SNF complex and a higher liver metastasis rate in immunodeficient mice. Transcriptome sequencing and Western blot analysis showed upregulated expression of ALDH1A1 and APOBEC3B in SWI/SNF-mut cells, particularly in ARID1A-deficient H460 and H1299 sgARID1A cells. IHC staining of mouse liver metastases further demonstrated elevated expression of ALDH1A1 in the H460 and H1299 sgARID1A group. CONCLUSIONS This study underscores the critical role of the GAs of SWI/SNF complex, such as ARID1A and SMARCA4, in promoting liver metastasis of lung cancer cells. The GAs of SWI/SNF complex may promote liver-specific metastasis by upregulating ALDH1A1 and APOBEC3B expression, providing novel insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying lung cancer liver metastasis.
Animals ; Mice ; Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung/genetics* ; Lung Neoplasms/genetics* ; Mutation ; Liver Neoplasms/genetics*

Objective To evaluate the role of preoperative serological indexes in predicting long-term survival and tumor recurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients after liver transplantation, aiming to explore its significance in expanding the Milan criteria. Methods Clinical data of 669 recipients undergoing liver transplantation for HCC were retrospectively analyzed. The optimal cut-off value was calculated by the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. The risk factors affecting the overall survival and recurrence-free survival rates of HCC patients after liver transplantation were identified by univariate and multivariate regression analyses. The correlation between preoperative serum liver enzymes and pathological characteristics in HCC patients was analyzed. The predictive values of alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) combined with γ -glutamyl transferase (GGT) and different liver transplant criteria for the survival and recurrence of HCC patients after liver transplantation were compared. Results Exceeded Milan criteria, total tumor diameter (TTD) > 8 cm, AFP > 200 ng/mL and GGT > 84 U/L were the independent risk factors for the overall survival and recurrence-free survival rates of HCC patients after liver transplantation (all P < 0.05). Correlation analysis showed that preoperative serum GGT level was correlated with TTD, number of tumor, venous invasion, microsatellite lesions, capsular invasion, tumor, node, metastasis (TNM) stage, Child-Pugh score and exceeded Milan criteria (all P < 0.05). Milan-AFP-GGT-TTD (M-AGT) criteria were proposed by combining Milan criteria, TTD with serum liver enzyme indexes (AFP and GGT). The 5-year overall survival and recurrence-free survival rates of HCC recipients who met the M-AGT criteria (111 cases of exceeded Milan criteria) were significantly higher than those who met Hangzhou criteria (both P < 0.05), whereas had no significant difference from their counterparts who met the University of California at San Francisco (UCSF) criteria (both P > 0.05). Conclusions Preoperative serological indexes of AFP and GGT could effectively predict the long-term survival and tumor recurrence of HCC patients after liver transplantation. Establishing the M-AGT criteria based on serological indexes contributes to expanding the Milan criteria, which is convenient and feasible.