1.Regulation of TGF-β1/JNK signaling pathway in patients with different types of mitral valve diseases complicated by atrial fibrillation
Chao CHANG ; Bo FU ; Xiaolong ZHU ; Chongjie ZHANG ; Xia ZHAO ; Hong TANG ; Xijun XIAO ; Yunpeng BAI
Chinese Journal of Clinical Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery 2026;33(02):291-299
Objective To investigate the regulatory mechanism of transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) in different types of mitral valvular disease (MVD) with atrial fibrillation (AF). Methods From August 2011 to August 2012, patients with moderate to severe MVD accompanied by AF who required mitral valve replacement at the Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, were included. Based on echocardiographic results, patients were divided into two groups: a mitral regurgitation (MR) with AF (MR-AF) group and a mitral stenosis (MS) with AF (MS-AF) group. Left atrial tissue samples were collected during surgery. Techniques such as enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction, immunohistochemistry, and Western blotting were used to detect key molecules in the TGF-β1/JNK pathway. Results Sixteen patients were enrolled. There were 8 patients in the MR-AF group, including 5 males and 3 females, with an average age of (41.38±11.19) years; and 8 patients in the MS-AF group, including 6 males and 2 females, with an average age of (43.12±5.30) years. The left atrial volume load was higher in MR-AF patients, while the left atrial pressure load was higher in MS-AF patients. In MS-AF patients, the relative expression levels of MAPK9, JUN, CASP3, BAX, and BCL2 mRNA in left atrial tissues were significantly upregulated. The serum TGF-β1 protein level and the relative expression levels of p-JNK, p-c-Jun, and Caspase-3 proteins in the left atrial tissues of the MR-AF group were higher. Myocardial cell damage was more severe in the MS-AF group, and the protein expression level of Bcl-2 was higher. Conclusion Different MVD have distinct hemodynamic characteristics. The myocardium of the left atrium in MR-AF patients is more prone to apoptosis, possibly through the activation of the TGF-β1/JNK signaling pathway.
2.Recent advances in the pathogenesis of evaporative dry eye disease
Yiyun HUANG ; Yan WANG ; Xiaolong LI ; Xiaokaiti NAIYILA ; Yong ZHAO
International Eye Science 2026;26(9):1598-1602
The ocular surface must maintain homeostasis to withstand continuous environmental stimuli, while increased tear evaporation represents a critical initiating event in the progression of evaporative dry eye disease. The composition, distribution, and function of the tear film lipid layer determine its anti-evaporative capacity. Multiple factors, including meibomian gland dysfunction, abnormalities of the lipid layer, blinking disorders, mucin deficiency, and epithelial barrier impairment, collectively weaken the evaporative barrier, subsequently inducing hyperosmotic stress and ocular surface inflammation, activating neuro-immune pathways, and thereby establishing a self-perpetuating cycle and contributing to disease chronicity. The environmental characteristics of northwestern regions, including low humidity, limited rainfall,strong winds, frequent windblown dust, and high evaporation rates, may further exacerbate these processes. This review integrates modern ocular surface pathological mechanisms with the theory of “Northwest dryness syndrome” to summarize the pathogenesis of evaporative dry eye disease and the effects of dry environmental exposure, aiming to provide a reference for risk assessment and intervention strategies for dry eye in Northwest China.
3.Effects of Shenfuhuang Formula (参附黄配方) on Potential Targets of Action in the Brain Tissue of Sepsis Model Mice:Transcriptomics-Based Exploration
Yuchen WANG ; Xuerui WANG ; Xiaolong XU ; Jingxia ZHAO ; Jiabo WANG ; Yuan GAO ; Weijun KONG ; Qingquan LIU
Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2025;66(1):65-70
ObjectiveTo investigate the possible mechanism of Shenfuhuang Formula (参附黄配方) in prevention and treatment of epsis-associated encephalopathy from the perspective of brain genomics. MethodsC57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into sham surgery group, sepsis group, and Shenfuhuang group, with 20 mice in each group. The sepsis group and Shenfuhuang group were induced to develop sepsis by cecal ligation and puncture (CLP) procedure. At 4 hours after modelling, Shenfuhuang group were gavaged with 2.5 g/(kg·d) of Shenfuhuang Formula, 0.5 ml each time, at 12 hours intervals, for a total of 4 times after modelling. Sepsis group and sham surgery group were given 0.5 ml of purified water orally. At 48 hours after modeling, the transcriptome sequencing was used to explore the differential gene expression in the effects of Shenfuhuang Formula on the brain regions of septic mice, and real-time PCR and ELISA were later used to further validate the differential gene and proteins expression. ResultsA total of 4605 genes were differentially expressed in Shenfuhuang group compared with sepsis group, of which 2353 genes were up-regulated and 2252 genes were down-regulated. According to the results of previous publications, six key genes were screened, including serine/threonine-protein kinase (Nek1), myelin-associated glycoprotein (Mag), endothelial cell-specific tyrosine kinase receptor (Tek), a disintegrin and metalloproteinase with thrombospondin motifs 20 (Adamts20), lymphocyte antigen 86 (Ly86), and E3 ubiquitin-protein ligase (Traip). Further genetic and protein validation revealed that, compared to the sham surgery group, the mRNA levels and corresponding protein levels of Nek1, Mag, Tek, Adamts20, Ly86, and Traip in the brain tissue of septic mice significantly reduced (P<0.05). In comparison to the sepsis group, Shenfuhuang group showed significantly increased mRNA levels and corresponding protein levels of Nek1, Mag, Tek, Adamts20, Ly86, and Traip (P<0.05). ConclusionThe potential therapeutic targets of Shenfuhuang Formula for treating sepsis-associated encephalopathy may be related to the Nek1, Mag, Tek, Adamts20, Ly86, and Traip genes and their encoded proteins.
4.Principles, technical specifications, and clinical application of lung watershed topography map 2.0: A thoracic surgery expert consensus (2024 version)
Wenzhao ZHONG ; Fan YANG ; Jian HU ; Fengwei TAN ; Xuening YANG ; Qiang PU ; Wei JIANG ; Deping ZHAO ; Hecheng LI ; Xiaolong YAN ; Lijie TAN ; Junqiang FAN ; Guibin QIAO ; Qiang NIE ; Mingqiang KANG ; Weibing WU ; Hao ZHANG ; Zhigang LI ; Zihao CHEN ; Shugeng GAO ; Yilong WU
Chinese Journal of Clinical Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery 2025;32(02):141-152
With the widespread adoption of low-dose CT screening and the extensive application of high-resolution CT, the detection rate of sub-centimeter lung nodules has significantly increased. How to scientifically manage these nodules while avoiding overtreatment and diagnostic delays has become an important clinical issue. Among them, lung nodules with a consolidation tumor ratio less than 0.25, dominated by ground-glass shadows, are particularly worthy of attention. The therapeutic challenge for this group is how to achieve precise and complete resection of nodules during surgery while maximizing the preservation of the patient's lung function. The "watershed topography map" is a new technology based on big data and artificial intelligence algorithms. This method uses Dicom data from conventional dose CT scans, combined with microscopic (22-24 levels) capillary network anatomical watershed features, to generate high-precision simulated natural segmentation planes of lung sub-segments through specific textures and forms. This technology forms fluorescent watershed boundaries on the lung surface, which highly fit the actual lung anatomical structure. By analyzing the adjacent relationship between the nodule and the watershed boundary, real-time, visually accurate positioning of the nodule can be achieved. This innovative technology provides a new solution for the intraoperative positioning and resection of lung nodules. This consensus was led by four major domestic societies, jointly with expert teams in related fields, oriented to clinical practical needs, referring to domestic and foreign guidelines and consensus, and finally formed after multiple rounds of consultation, discussion, and voting. The main content covers the theoretical basis of the "watershed topography map" technology, indications, operation procedures, surgical planning details, and postoperative evaluation standards, aiming to provide scientific guidance and exploration directions for clinical peers who are currently or plan to carry out lung nodule resection using the fluorescent microscope watershed analysis method.
5.Clinical practice guidelines for perioperative multimodality treatment of non-small cell lung cancer.
Wenjie JIAO ; Liang ZHAO ; Jiandong MEI ; Jia ZHONG ; Yongfeng YU ; Nan BI ; Lan ZHANG ; Lvhua WANG ; Xiaolong FU ; Jie WANG ; Shun LU ; Lunxu LIU ; Shugeng GAO
Chinese Medical Journal 2025;138(21):2702-2721
BACKGROUND:
Lung cancer is currently the most prevalent malignancy and the leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide. Although the early stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) presents a relatively good prognosis, a considerable number of lung cancer cases are still detected and diagnosed at locally advanced or late stages. Surgical treatment combined with perioperative multimodality treatment is the mainstay of treatment for locally advanced NSCLC and has been shown to improve patient survival. Following the standard methods of neoadjuvant therapy, perioperative management, postoperative adjuvant therapy, and other therapeutic strategies are important for improving patients' prognosis and quality of life. However, controversies remain over the perioperative management of NSCLC and presently consensus and standardized guidelines are lacking for addressing critical clinical issues in multimodality treatment.
METHODS:
The working group consisted of 125 multidisciplinary experts from thoracic surgery, medical oncology, radiotherapy, epidemiology, and psychology. This guideline was developed using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) system. The clinical questions were collected and selected based on preliminary open-ended questionnaires and subsequent discussions during the Guideline Working Group meetings. PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, Scopus, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) were searched for available evidence. The GRADE system was used to evaluate the quality of evidence and grade the strengths of recommendations. Finally, the recommendations were developed through a structured consensus-building process.
RESULTS:
The Guideline Development Group initially collected a total of 62 important clinical questions. After a series of consensus-building conferences, 24 clinical questions were identified and corresponding recommendations were ultimately developed, focusing on neoadjuvant therapy, perioperative management, adjuvant therapy, postoperative psychological rehabilitation, prognosis assement, and follow-up protocols for NSCLC.
CONCLUSIONS
This guideline puts forward reasonable recommendations focusing on neoadjuvant therapy, perioperative management, adjuvant therapy, postoperative psychological rehabilitation, prognosis assessment, and follow-up protocol of NSCLC. It standardizes perioperative multimodality treatment and provides guidance for clinical practice among thoracic surgeons, medical oncologists, and radiotherapists, aiming to reduce postoperative recurrence, improve patient survival, accelerate recovery, and minimize postoperative complications such as atelectasis.
Humans
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Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung/therapy*
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Lung Neoplasms/therapy*
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Combined Modality Therapy
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Perioperative Care
6.Severe COVID-19 and inactivated vaccine in diabetic patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection.
Yaling YANG ; Feng WEI ; Duoduo QU ; Xinyue XU ; Chenwei WU ; Lihua ZHOU ; Jia LIU ; Qin ZHU ; Chunhong WANG ; Weili YAN ; Xiaolong ZHAO
Chinese Medical Journal 2025;138(10):1257-1259
7.Study on the correlation between hyperopia reserve and ocular biometric parameters after ciliary muscle paralysis in 4-14 year-old students from Hotan County, Xinjiang
Ning LI ; Yan WANG ; Lei YANG ; Qian PU ; AYINU·NULAHOU ; Xiaolong LI ; Yong ZHAO ; Yunxian GAO
International Eye Science 2025;25(8):1371-1376
AIM: To explore the relationship between hyperopia reserve and ocular biometric parameters in 4-14 year-old Uyghur students from Hotan County, Xinjiang, and to provide scientific evidence for myopia prevention.METHODS: From September 1 to October 31, 2023, a stratified random cluster sampling method was used to select 3 264 students(3 264 eyes)from 6 schools in Hotan County. Participants underwent uncorrected distance visual acuity testing, cycloplegic refraction, and ocular biometric measurements. The correlation between spherical equivalent(SE)and ocular biometric parameters was analyzed by multiple linear regression.RESULTS: A total of 1 998 non-myopic students(1 998 eyes)were included in the study, with 1 354 students(67.77%)showing insufficient hyperopia reserve. The detection rate of insufficient hyperopia reserve decreased with age, from 94.12% at age 4 to 18.13% at age 14(P<0.001). Multiple linear regression analysis showed that in the group with sufficient hyperopia reserve, age, gender, uncorrected distance visual acuity, axial length(AL), and keratometry(K)explained 66.5% of the variance in SE; while in the group with insufficient hyperopia reserve, these factors explained only 28.0% of the SE variance.CONCLUSION: In non-myopic Uyghur students aged 4-14 in Hotan County, Xinjiang, the detection rate of insufficient hyperopia reserve was 67.77%. In the group with insufficient hyperopia reserve, age, gender, AL, and K explained only a small portion of the SE variance, suggesting that the refractive status of this population may be influenced by more complex factors.
8.CDH17-targeting CAR-NK cells synergize with CD47 blockade for potent suppression of gastrointestinal cancers.
Liuhai ZHENG ; Youbing DING ; Xiaolong XU ; Huifang WANG ; Guangwei SHI ; Yang LI ; Yuanqiao HE ; Yue GONG ; Xiaodong ZHANG ; Jinxi WEI ; Zhiyu DONG ; Jiexuan LI ; Shanchao ZHAO ; Rui HOU ; Wei ZHANG ; Jigang WANG ; Zhijie LI
Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica B 2025;15(5):2559-2574
Gastrointestinal (GI) cancers are a leading cause of cancer morbidity and mortality worldwide. Despite advances in treatment, cancer relapse remains a significant challenge, necessitating novel therapeutic strategies. In this study, we engineered nanobody-based chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) natural killer (NK) cells targeting cadherin 17 (CDH17) for the treatment of GI tumors. In addition, to enhance the efficacy of CAR-NK cells, we also incorporated CV1, a CD47-SIRPα axis inhibitor, to evaluate the anti-tumor effect of this combination. We found that CDH17-CAR-NK cells effectively eliminated GI cancers cells in a CDH17-dependent manner. CDH17-CAR-NK cells also exhibit potent in vivo anti-tumor effects in cancer cell-derived xenograft and patient-derived xenograft mouse models. Additionally, the anti-tumor activity of CDH17-CAR-NK cells is synergistically enhanced by CD47-signal regulatory protein α (SIRPα) axis inhibitor CV1, likely through augmented macrophages activation and an increase in M1-phenotype macrophages in the tumor microenvironment. Collectively, our findings suggest that CDH17-targeting CAR-NK cells are a promising strategy for GI cancers. The combination of CDH17-CAR-NK cells with CV1 emerges as a potential combinatorial approach to overcome the limitations of CAR-NK therapy. Further investigations are warranted to speed up the clinical translation of these findings.
9.Enhanced MRI"strawberry sign"for differentiating solitary predominantly cystic brain metastasis and glioma
Bofeng ZHAO ; Wei FENG ; Xiaohan GUO ; Ping CHEN ; Xiaolong FAN ; Baoying CHEN
Chinese Journal of Medical Imaging Technology 2025;41(6):888-891
Objective To observe the value of enhanced MRI"strawberry sign"for differentiating solitary predominantly cystic brain metastasis and glioma.Methods Thirty-four patients with solitary predominantly cystic(cystic proportion greater than 50%)brain metastasis(metastasis group)and 43 with solitary predominantly cystic glioma(glioma group)were retrospectively enrolled,and the value of"strawberry sign"showed on contrast enhanced T1WI(CE-T1WI)for differentiation was analyzed.Results The detection rate of"strawberry sign"in metastasis group was 44.12%(15/34),and the primary cancer was lung adenocarcinoma in 6 cases(6/15,40.00%),small cell lung cancer in 3 cases(3/15,20.00%),as well as lung squamous cell carcinoma,breast cancer,colon adenocarcinoma,endometrioid carcinoma,fallopian tube adenocarcinoma and rectal melanoma each in 1 case(1/15,6.67%).Meanwhile,the detection rate of"strawberry sign"in glioma group was 18.60%(8/43),and all were observed in WHO grade 4 gliomas.The detection rate of"strawberry sign"in metastasis group was higher than that in glioma group,which was not related to patients' gender(P=0.442).The sensitivity,specificity,accuracy,positive predictive value and negative predictive value of"strawberry sign"for differentiating solitary predominantly cystic brain metastasis and glioma was 44.12%,81.40%,64.94%,65.22%and 64.81%,respectively.Conclusion"Strawberry sign"showed on CE-T1WI was helpful for differentiating solitary predominantly cystic brain metastasis and glioma.
10.Construction and verification of the prediction model of pulmonary infection in patients with aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage after craniotomy
Shufang SHI ; Yanjun ZHANG ; Mingxia GUO ; Jingwen CHEN ; Kexing JI ; Xiaolong CHEN ; Jing ZHAO ; Xinmin DING
Chinese Journal of Practical Nursing 2025;41(34):2685-2693
Objective:To construct and verify a risk prediction model for pulmonary infection in patients with aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH) after craniotomy and clipping, providing theoretical basis and practical guidance for improving the quality of postoperative care.Methods:Using the convenience sampling method, a retrospective selection was made of 397 patients with aSAH after craniotomy and clipping who were hospitalized in the Department of Neurosurgery of Shanxi Bethune Hospital (Shanxi Academy of Medical Sciences) from January 2019 to December 2023 as the modeling group. They were randomly divided into the training set and the test set at a ratio of 7:3, with 278 cases in the training set and 119 cases in the test set. Patients were divided into the infection group and the non-infection group based on whether they developed pulmonary infection. Univariate analysis was used to model the risk factors of pulmonary infection after aSAH craniotomy and clamping in the group, and Lasso regression was used to construct a predictive model. A total of 119 patients with aSAH admitted to the neurosurgery department of the same hospital from January to April 2024 were selected for the external validation of the model. The predictive effect of the model was evaluated through the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve.Results:In the modeling group, there were 216 male patients and 181 female patients. The incidence of pulmonary infection was 38.54% (153/397). Finally, five influencing factors, namely stroke, Hunt-Hess classification, mechanical ventilation, indwelling nasogastric tube and the timing of initiating enteral nutrition, were included to construct a predictive model. The areas under the ROC curves of the nomogram prediction models of this model in the training set, test set, and external validation group were 0.859(95% CI 0.791-0.928), 0.843(95% CI 0.796-0.890), and 0.800(95% CI 0.711-0.889), respectively. The calibration curve shows that the model's prediction fits well with the actual situation and has a high degree of calibration. Decision curve analysis indicates that this model has high clinical application value under different risk thresholds. Conclusions:The risk prediction model for pulmonary infection in patients after craniotomy and clipping with aSAH has good discrimination and calibration, which can provide reference for medical staff to identify high-risk patients at an early stage and take preventive intervention measures.

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