Objective: Intrathyroid thymic carcinoma（ITTC） is a rare thyroid tumor that lacks typical clinical manifestations and imaging features, making preoperative diagnosis challenging.The primary treatment for ITTC is radical surgery; however, the effectiveness of adjuvant radiotherapy and chemotherapy post-surgery is not well-established. This paper presents a case of ITTC , analyzing the clinical data and correlating it with the literature to explore the clinical manifestations, diagnostic approach, treatment, and prognosis of ITTC.
Humans ; Prognosis ; Thymoma ; Thymus Neoplasms/diagnosis* ; Thyroid Neoplasms/pathology*

Objective To establish a classification tree model for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease(NAFLD)among aircrews,screen for influencing factors of NAFLD,so as to provide scientific basis for prevention and intervention decisions for NAFLD.Methods Aircrews who underwent recuperation at a sanatorium from January 2019 to December 2023 were selected as the research objects.Their annual physical examination data were collected and the NAFLD detection rate was calculated.Age,body mass index(BMI),blood pressure,waist circumference,blood routine,biochemistry indexes,and thyroid function were incorporated,and a NAFLD risk model was constructed using classification regression tree method.The predictive performance of the NAFLD classification tree model was evaluated through model misclassification matrix,risk statistics,and receiver operating characteristic curve.Results A total of 4088 aircrews were included in the study,and NAFLD was detected in 380 persons(380/4088,9.30%).The NAFLD model consisted of three layers,and five explanatory variables affecting the onset of NAFLD were extracted,including BMI,triglycerides(TG),high-density lipoprotein cholesterol(HDL-C),alanine aminotransferase(ALT),and total bilirubin(TBIL).BMI was located at the top of the classification tree and was the most important risk factor for NAFLD in aircrews.The area under the curve(AUC)of the model was 0.853.The predictive accuracy of NAFLD was 90.9%,indicating that the model has good accuracy and fitting effect.Conclusion In this study,the detection rate of NAFLD in aircrews was 9.30%.BMI,TG,HDL-C,ALT,and TBIL are risk factors for the onset of NAFLD.NAFLD is mainly related to weight gain and lipid metabolism disorders caused by unhealthy lifestyles.

Metachromatic leukodystrophy (MLD) is an inherited disease caused by a deficiency of the enzyme arylsulfatase A (ARSA). Lentivirus-modified autologous hematopoietic stem cell gene therapy (HSCGT) has recently been approved for clinical use in pre and early symptomatic children with MLD to increase ARSA activity. Unfortunately, this advanced therapy is not available for most patients with MLD who have progressed to more advanced symptomatic stages at diagnosis. Patients with late-onset juvenile MLD typically present with a slower neurological progression of symptoms and represent a significant burden to the economy and healthcare system, whereas those with early onset infantile MLD die within a few years of symptom onset. We conducted a pilot study to determine the safety and benefit of HSCGT in patients with postsymptomatic juvenile MLD and report preliminary results. The safety profile of HSCGT was favorable in this long-term follow-up over 9 years. The most common adverse events (AEs) within 2 months of HSCGT were related to busulfan conditioning, and all AEs resolved. No HSCGT-related AEs and no evidence of distorted hematopoietic differentiation during long-term follow-up for up to 9.6 years. Importantly, to date, patients have maintained remarkably improved ARSA activity with a stable disease state, including increased Functional Independence Measure (FIM) score and decreased magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) lesion score. This long-term follow-up pilot study suggests that HSCGT is safe and provides clinical benefit to patients with postsymptomatic juvenile MLD.
Humans ; Leukodystrophy, Metachromatic/genetics* ; Pilot Projects ; Genetic Therapy/methods* ; Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation ; Male ; Follow-Up Studies ; Female ; Lentivirus/genetics* ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Hematopoietic Stem Cells/metabolism* ; Cerebroside-Sulfatase/metabolism* ; Adolescent

Exploring the variability of the intestinal flora of patients with hepatic blastocysticercosis and searching for members of the intestinal microflora that may play a role in the disease process by means of macro-genome sequencing technology. A case-control study was used to include fecal samples from patients with hepatic vesicular schistosomiasis admitted to Qinghai Provincial People′s Hospital between October 2023 and January 2024 and individuals attending health checkups. The experimental group (AE group) consisted of 10 patients with liver vesicular schistosomiasis and the control group (NC group) consisted of 9 individuals attending health checkups. Macrogenomic sequencing was performed on these two groups of samples using the Illumina Novaseq 6000 sequencing platform, using fastp (v0.20.1) to remove junctions, and bbmap (v38.93-0) to remove the hosted sequences, followed by sequence splicing using MEGAHIT (v1.2.9), and then using prodigal (v2.6.3) to The spliced scaffold was subjected to ORF prediction and translated into amino acid sequences, followed by the construction of a non-redundant gene set using MMSeqs2 (v13.45111), and finally compared with the non-redundant gene set using salmon (v1.8.0). Species were annotated by the non-redundant database, species abundance was calculated in each sample, and the two sets were tested using Wilcoxon rank sum test. Finally, the differences in intestinal flora between the two groups were statistically analyzed using linear discriminant analysis, and the correlation between the differential intestinal flora and clinical indicators was analyzed using redundancy analysis (RDA). The results showed that the effective data volume of each sample was distributed from 10.41 to 12.46 G. The number of ORFs in the de-redundantly constructed gene catalogue (non-redundant gene set) was 4 951 408, and the annotation rate of the non-redundant genes was 97.97% when compared with the NR database. The ages of the study subjects in the two groups were (44.78±4.58) years in the NC group and (42.90±10.44) years in the AE group, and the difference was not statistically significant ( t=0.530, P=0.476). The two groups were matched for body mass index (BMI) ( t=2.368, P=0.142), gender ( χ2=0.200, P=0.655), and dietary habits. There was no statistically significant difference in alpha diversity in the AE group (ACE index, t=0.942; chao1 index, t=0.947; shannon index, t=0.813, the simpson′s index, t=0.613, P>0.05), while beta diversity analysis showed significant differences in the overall structure of the two communities (Stress=0.054 5). A total of 120 species were annotated at the phylum level, of which two differed. While 1 736 species were annotated at the genus level, 69 were different, and 309 were different at the species level. The AE group ranked the top 6 in terms of abundance of Anaplasma, Escherichiaceae, Clostridium, Alternaria, Ruminalia, and Treponema spp. at the genus level; whereas, Segatella, Prevotella, E. faecalis, Rossella, and beneficial rod-shaped bacteria were more abundant in the NC group. There were differences in the abundance and diversity of intestinal flora between the two groups, and the structure of community composition was significantly different. Statistical results by linear discriminant analysis (LDA) showed that LDA scores >2 in the NC group included beneficial bacillus spp. and E. faecalis spp. in young infants, etc. LDA scores >2 in the AE group at the mid-species level included Clostridium polterococcus, unknown microorganisms in the genus Clostridium intestinalis, Hathaway′s Henkett′s bacillus, and Clostridium oryzae in the genus Clostridium refractory to culture and small Clostridium spp. in the AE group. Clostridium intestinalis. The RDA results showed a negative correlation between beneficial rod genera and liver function indices, and a positive correlation between Clostridium intestinalis genera and liver function indices. In conclusion, patients with hepatic blastomycosis have altered intestinal flora abundance and diversity, with significant structural changes in community composition and differences in several genera, including Mycobacterium anisopliae and Clostridium intestinalis, and imbalances in the intestinal flora may affect hepatic function by influencing intestinal metabolites and may have an impact on the development of hepatic blastomycosis, a finding that warrants further in-depth study.

Objective:To investigate the in vitro bacteriostatic effect of ethyl alcohol extract of Moutan Cortex (EAEMC) on Candida tropicalis and its effect on virulence factors, including aspartic protease, hemolysin, phospholipase, esterase, lipase activities and biofilm. Methods:EAEMC powder was obtained by ultrasonic extraction, decompression concentration and lyophilization; the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) of EAEMC on 21 clinical strains and one standard strain of Candida tropicalis were determined by microdilution. Five extracellular enzyme activities of Candida tropicalis and the effect of EAEMC on them were detected by the plate assay, and the results were analyzed by ANOVA. The biofilm model of Candida tropicalis was constructed in vitro, and the inhibition rate of EAEMC on Candida tropicalis biofilm was evaluated using the thiazolyl blue (MTT) method. Results:The MIC of EAEMC against Candida tropicalis BNCC335988 was 12.5 g/L and the MBC value was 25 g/L, while for the clinical strains, the MIC was 12.5-25 g/L and the MBC was 25-50 g/L. Aspartic protease, esterase and hemolytic activities of Candida tropicalis were positive, but phospholipase and lipase showed negative activities. At a concentration of 1/2 MIC of EAEMC, the aspartic protease and hemolytic activities of Candida tropicalis were completely inhibited the aspartic protease and hemolytic activities of Candida tropicalis were completely inhibited and the esterase activity was completely inhibited at a concentration of MIC of EAEMC. The inhibition of Candida tropicalis BNCC335988 biofilm by EAEMC reached more than 70% at a concentration of 2MIC, more than 80% at a concentration of 4MIC, and more than 90% at a concentration of 8MIC. Conclusion:EAEMC can achieve bacteriostatic effects by reducing the aspartic protease, esterase and hemolysin activities of Candida tropicalis, as well as inhibiting biofilm formation.

Purpose To investigate the diagnostic value of quantitative 123I-Metaiodobenzylguanidine(MIBG)xSPECT/CT imaging in bone metastases of neuroblastoma in children.Materials and Methods We retrospectively assessed 123I-MIBG xSPECT/CT images of 61 children with neuroblastoma confirmed by pathology analyzed the influencing factors of bone metastatic lesions and normal bone quantitative parameters from March 2022 to March 2023 in Beijing Friendship Hospital,Capital Medical University,and compared the differences in standard uptake value(SUV).We used receiver operating characteristics curves to determine the optimum maximum standard uptake value(SUVmax),average standard uptake value(SUVavg),minimum standard uptake value(SUVmin)and peak standard uptake value(SUVpeak)cut-off value to diagnose bone metastatic lesions.Results There was no statistically significant difference in normal bone SUV values among different physical parameters(r=-0.204-0.071,all P>0.05).SUVmax,SUVavg,SUVmin and SUVpeak of bone metastatic lesions were significantly higher than those of normal bone(Z=-10.118--9.703,all P<0.000 1),and there was no significant statistical difference in SUV measurements of bone metastatic lesions among different Curie score intervals(H=0.226,0.107,0.149,0.342,all P>0.05).The area under the curve of SUVmax,SUVavg,SUVmin and SUVpeak were 0.929(95%CI 0.884-0.974),0.948(95%CI 0.906-0.989),0.935(95%CI 0.890-0.981),0.942(95%CI 0.899-0.985);sensitivity was 90.9%,90.2%,93.7%,92.3%,and specificity was 86.9%,93.4%,85.2%,88.5%,respectively,with statistically significant differences(P<0.000 1).The optimal diagnostic thresholds for SUVmax,SUVavg,SUVmin and SUVpeak were 0.39 g/ml,0.33 g/ml,0.20 g/ml and 0.33 g/ml,respectively.Conclusion We demonstrate that SUVavg above 0.33 g/ml in neuroblastoma patients have best diagnostic efficacy in the diagnosis of bone metastasis of neuroblastoma.Quantitative indexes of xSPECT/CT increase the specificity of diagnosing bone metastases of neuroblastoma,demonstrating the high diagnostic efficiency of 123I-MIBG xSPECT/CT imaging quantitative analysis and its potential usefulness as a diagnostic aid for visual evaluation.

Exploring the variability of the intestinal flora of patients with hepatic blastocysticercosis and searching for members of the intestinal microflora that may play a role in the disease process by means of macro-genome sequencing technology. A case-control study was used to include fecal samples from patients with hepatic vesicular schistosomiasis admitted to Qinghai Provincial People′s Hospital between October 2023 and January 2024 and individuals attending health checkups. The experimental group (AE group) consisted of 10 patients with liver vesicular schistosomiasis and the control group (NC group) consisted of 9 individuals attending health checkups. Macrogenomic sequencing was performed on these two groups of samples using the Illumina Novaseq 6000 sequencing platform, using fastp (v0.20.1) to remove junctions, and bbmap (v38.93-0) to remove the hosted sequences, followed by sequence splicing using MEGAHIT (v1.2.9), and then using prodigal (v2.6.3) to The spliced scaffold was subjected to ORF prediction and translated into amino acid sequences, followed by the construction of a non-redundant gene set using MMSeqs2 (v13.45111), and finally compared with the non-redundant gene set using salmon (v1.8.0). Species were annotated by the non-redundant database, species abundance was calculated in each sample, and the two sets were tested using Wilcoxon rank sum test. Finally, the differences in intestinal flora between the two groups were statistically analyzed using linear discriminant analysis, and the correlation between the differential intestinal flora and clinical indicators was analyzed using redundancy analysis (RDA). The results showed that the effective data volume of each sample was distributed from 10.41 to 12.46 G. The number of ORFs in the de-redundantly constructed gene catalogue (non-redundant gene set) was 4 951 408, and the annotation rate of the non-redundant genes was 97.97% when compared with the NR database. The ages of the study subjects in the two groups were (44.78±4.58) years in the NC group and (42.90±10.44) years in the AE group, and the difference was not statistically significant ( t=0.530, P=0.476). The two groups were matched for body mass index (BMI) ( t=2.368, P=0.142), gender ( χ2=0.200, P=0.655), and dietary habits. There was no statistically significant difference in alpha diversity in the AE group (ACE index, t=0.942; chao1 index, t=0.947; shannon index, t=0.813, the simpson′s index, t=0.613, P>0.05), while beta diversity analysis showed significant differences in the overall structure of the two communities (Stress=0.054 5). A total of 120 species were annotated at the phylum level, of which two differed. While 1 736 species were annotated at the genus level, 69 were different, and 309 were different at the species level. The AE group ranked the top 6 in terms of abundance of Anaplasma, Escherichiaceae, Clostridium, Alternaria, Ruminalia, and Treponema spp. at the genus level; whereas, Segatella, Prevotella, E. faecalis, Rossella, and beneficial rod-shaped bacteria were more abundant in the NC group. There were differences in the abundance and diversity of intestinal flora between the two groups, and the structure of community composition was significantly different. Statistical results by linear discriminant analysis (LDA) showed that LDA scores >2 in the NC group included beneficial bacillus spp. and E. faecalis spp. in young infants, etc. LDA scores >2 in the AE group at the mid-species level included Clostridium polterococcus, unknown microorganisms in the genus Clostridium intestinalis, Hathaway′s Henkett′s bacillus, and Clostridium oryzae in the genus Clostridium refractory to culture and small Clostridium spp. in the AE group. Clostridium intestinalis. The RDA results showed a negative correlation between beneficial rod genera and liver function indices, and a positive correlation between Clostridium intestinalis genera and liver function indices. In conclusion, patients with hepatic blastomycosis have altered intestinal flora abundance and diversity, with significant structural changes in community composition and differences in several genera, including Mycobacterium anisopliae and Clostridium intestinalis, and imbalances in the intestinal flora may affect hepatic function by influencing intestinal metabolites and may have an impact on the development of hepatic blastomycosis, a finding that warrants further in-depth study.

Purpose To investigate the diagnostic value of quantitative 123I-Metaiodobenzylguanidine(MIBG)xSPECT/CT imaging in bone metastases of neuroblastoma in children.Materials and Methods We retrospectively assessed 123I-MIBG xSPECT/CT images of 61 children with neuroblastoma confirmed by pathology analyzed the influencing factors of bone metastatic lesions and normal bone quantitative parameters from March 2022 to March 2023 in Beijing Friendship Hospital,Capital Medical University,and compared the differences in standard uptake value(SUV).We used receiver operating characteristics curves to determine the optimum maximum standard uptake value(SUVmax),average standard uptake value(SUVavg),minimum standard uptake value(SUVmin)and peak standard uptake value(SUVpeak)cut-off value to diagnose bone metastatic lesions.Results There was no statistically significant difference in normal bone SUV values among different physical parameters(r=-0.204-0.071,all P>0.05).SUVmax,SUVavg,SUVmin and SUVpeak of bone metastatic lesions were significantly higher than those of normal bone(Z=-10.118--9.703,all P<0.000 1),and there was no significant statistical difference in SUV measurements of bone metastatic lesions among different Curie score intervals(H=0.226,0.107,0.149,0.342,all P>0.05).The area under the curve of SUVmax,SUVavg,SUVmin and SUVpeak were 0.929(95%CI 0.884-0.974),0.948(95%CI 0.906-0.989),0.935(95%CI 0.890-0.981),0.942(95%CI 0.899-0.985);sensitivity was 90.9%,90.2%,93.7%,92.3%,and specificity was 86.9%,93.4%,85.2%,88.5%,respectively,with statistically significant differences(P<0.000 1).The optimal diagnostic thresholds for SUVmax,SUVavg,SUVmin and SUVpeak were 0.39 g/ml,0.33 g/ml,0.20 g/ml and 0.33 g/ml,respectively.Conclusion We demonstrate that SUVavg above 0.33 g/ml in neuroblastoma patients have best diagnostic efficacy in the diagnosis of bone metastasis of neuroblastoma.Quantitative indexes of xSPECT/CT increase the specificity of diagnosing bone metastases of neuroblastoma,demonstrating the high diagnostic efficiency of 123I-MIBG xSPECT/CT imaging quantitative analysis and its potential usefulness as a diagnostic aid for visual evaluation.

Objective:To investigate the in vitro bacteriostatic effect of ethyl alcohol extract of Moutan Cortex (EAEMC) on Candida tropicalis and its effect on virulence factors, including aspartic protease, hemolysin, phospholipase, esterase, lipase activities and biofilm. Methods:EAEMC powder was obtained by ultrasonic extraction, decompression concentration and lyophilization; the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) of EAEMC on 21 clinical strains and one standard strain of Candida tropicalis were determined by microdilution. Five extracellular enzyme activities of Candida tropicalis and the effect of EAEMC on them were detected by the plate assay, and the results were analyzed by ANOVA. The biofilm model of Candida tropicalis was constructed in vitro, and the inhibition rate of EAEMC on Candida tropicalis biofilm was evaluated using the thiazolyl blue (MTT) method. Results:The MIC of EAEMC against Candida tropicalis BNCC335988 was 12.5 g/L and the MBC value was 25 g/L, while for the clinical strains, the MIC was 12.5-25 g/L and the MBC was 25-50 g/L. Aspartic protease, esterase and hemolytic activities of Candida tropicalis were positive, but phospholipase and lipase showed negative activities. At a concentration of 1/2 MIC of EAEMC, the aspartic protease and hemolytic activities of Candida tropicalis were completely inhibited the aspartic protease and hemolytic activities of Candida tropicalis were completely inhibited and the esterase activity was completely inhibited at a concentration of MIC of EAEMC. The inhibition of Candida tropicalis BNCC335988 biofilm by EAEMC reached more than 70% at a concentration of 2MIC, more than 80% at a concentration of 4MIC, and more than 90% at a concentration of 8MIC. Conclusion:EAEMC can achieve bacteriostatic effects by reducing the aspartic protease, esterase and hemolysin activities of Candida tropicalis, as well as inhibiting biofilm formation.

Objective:To observe the effects of proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) inhibitor combined with rosuvastatin on lipid levels and short-term prognosis in patients with acute ischemic stroke, and to explore the optimal therapeutic regimen in terms of efficacy and safety, so as to provide a basis for clinical practice.Methods:Consecutive patients with acute cerebral infarction within 72 hours of onset and lipids≥2.6 mmol/L admitted to Xuzhou Central Hospital from April 2022 to March 2023 were included in the study, and the randomized numeric table method was used to divide them into 3 groups of different treatment regimens, group A (rosuvastatin 20 mg, once a day), group B (rosuvastatin 10 mg, once a day+alirocumab 75 mg, once 2 weeks) and group C (rosuvastatin 20 mg, once a day+alirocumab 75 mg, once 2 weeks). General baseline data, National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score, modified Rankin Scale score on day 90 and the occurrence of adverse events and serious adverse events were collected from the 3 groups. The primary efficacy outcome was the degree of reduction in low density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C) from baseline on day 90. The secondary efficacy outcomes were recurrence rate and time to recurrence in stroke patients within 90 days,etc. The primary safety outcome was hepatic insufficiency (transaminase elevation≥3 times normal) within 90 days. The secondary safety outcomes were death due to stroke within 90 days and fatal and nonfatal myocardial infarction.Results:A total of 501 patients were included, 166 patients in group A, 167 patients in group B, and 168 patients in group C. The differences in the baseline data of the 3 groups were not statistically significant (all P>0.05). LDL-C was reduced from baseline on day 90 in groups A, B, and C, with the differences of -1.5 (-1.7, -1.4) mmol/L, -2.2 (-2.5, -2.1) mmol/L and -2.2 (-2.6, -2.1) mmol/L, respectively, with statistically significant differences among the 3 groups ( H=1.497, P<0.001); the differences between the group A and group B, and between the group A and group C, were statistically significant ( Z=-11.125, P=0.006; Z=-9.475, P=0.012), while the difference between the group B and group C was not statistically significant ( Z=1.650, P=0.946). The numbers of 90-day stroke recurrence cases (recurrence rate) in patients in the groups A, B, and C were 12 (7.2%), 4 (2.4%), and 5 (3.0%), respectively, without statistically significant difference among the 3 groups ( χ 2=5.773, P>0.05); the recurrence time of patients in the groups A, B and C was (43.0±7.4) d, (66.0±8.3) d and (62.2±5.6) d, respectively, and the differences among the 3 groups were statistically significant ( F=14.096, P=0.001). Compared with the group A, patients in the groups B and C had a prolonged time to stroke recurrence within 90 days ( Z=-3.108, P=0.002; Z=-2.871, P=0.004), whereas the difference in the time to stroke recurrence within 90 days between patients in the groups B and C was not statistically significant ( Z=0.397, P=0.692). The time to stroke recurrence within 90 days was positively correlated with the level of LDL-C on day 90 ( β=0.850, P=0.031). Ten patients (6.0%) in the group A developed hepatic insufficiency, 1 patient (0.6%) in the group B, and 9 patients (5.4%) in the group C. The differences among the 3 groups were statistically significant (χ 2=7.622, P=0.022); and the difference between the group B and group C was statistically significant ( P=0.011). The differences of secondary safety endpoints, death due to stroke within 90 days [1 case (0.6%) in the group A, 0 case (0) in the group B, and 1 case (0.6%) in the group C], fatal and nonfatal myocardial infarction within 90 days [3 cases (1.8%) in the group A, 1 case (0.6%) in the group B, and 1 case (0.6%) in the group C], were not statistically significant among the 3 groups (all P>0.05). Conclusions:In patients with acute ischemic stroke, PCSK9 inhibitor combined with rosuvastatin (both medium and high doses) significantly reduced LDL-C levels compared with baseline, and at the same time prolonged the time to stroke recurrence, reduced adverse effects such as hepatic insufficiency, and had a high degree of safety. PCSK9 inhibitor combined with medium-dose rosuvastatin had a better effect.